A Good Life
by Freyalinn
Summary: My take on season 5.
1. Chapter 1

_This story is about the Jaymes/Claybourne family. Other characters will figure here and there but no details on their future lifes other then they are all happy with their chosen partners. Juliette lives and just had to land in a different airport due to a heavy thunderstorm._

* * *

Deacon is sitting on the porch to the cabin lost in thoughts. It has been two months now since Maddie came home. Two months since he could reunite mother and daughter and see the life return to his wonderful wife. These past months have been hell, Rayna took it really hard of course. A weaker woman had shut down completly and would be totally heartbroken. But Rayna did managed her work at Highway 65, loving mother to Daphne, did a ten date tour. She did all that but not with her usually joy and spirit. His and Rayna´s marriage did really take a shaky road. He came so close to lose her again, way too close. He screwed up and let her down again. I wasen´t all his fault but his actions certainly diden´t help. After their first therapy session it got a bit better and they found sorts of back to each other. Not full intimacy but at least she allowed him to comfort her with closeness and hugs. On that day when he saw Rayna hugged Maddie so tight as she never would let go and their eyes met, he saw a little of the old Rayna in there. Then he knew they would be ok, that they would get past this hurdle also, as they had with all others that has goten in their way. He diden´t know how but somehow with time they would. Their love was gonna survive.

After the second therapy session they had a good talk, a really good talk. It took all evening and half the night, but it was worth it because they finally made love to each other after over two months. They had never gone this long without sex while beeing together before. It was not just the sex he missed, but the closeness, the special bond between them that was there from the moment he met her. He have never had that with another woman. He had his share of women during Rayna´s marriage to Teddy, nothing was really serious. The longest relationship he had besides Rayna lasted five months and the thought of marrying any other woman then Rayna haden´t even crossed his mind once. What he and Rayna have is very special, a deep connection between them that few people get to feel, less even understand. A love so strong and deep. Add the fact that Deacon has loved Rayna all his life, the only woman he ever loved. With that love and connection the sex between them is magical, amazing and breathtaken passionate. He wouldn´t even wanna guess how many times they have made love with each other, hell in the first year alone they would be at it three times a day. One in the morning, one after the show in the first empty dressingroom or restroom they could find and then when they got back to the bus or the good nights when they stayed at a motel.

Some times are more special then others and will always be inprented in his heart. The first time they made love Rayna was a virgin. He haden´t been with a virgin before and was terrified he would scare her for life. He wanted her first time to be wonderful and what any girl dreams of and deserve. They diden´t have much money to throw around so a fancy hotel was out of the question and he diden´t want it to happen in that crapy sorry excuse for a apartment he shared with Vince. So what he did was he bought food suitable for a picnic, throwed some pillows and sleeping bags in the back of his old truck and droved them to a beautiful location by a lake. There they made love for the first time in the warm summer night.

Second most treasured moment was when they got back together again after Rayna´s thirteen years of marriage, that night Rayna came to his house and told him him she loved him. After their amazingly hot kiss in that elevator in Chicago, several months before. What a kiss that was, the familiar feeling of her lips against his. He had dreamed about their reunion for so long, he had pictured it so many times. How it would feel to touch her again, feel her soft skin against his, inhale her scent, the unique fragrance of Rayna, that have always turned him on so incredible much. So when she kissed him in the doorway, he couldn´t believe that was happening. He hold her in his arms again. How much he had missed this, missed her, definitely missed making love to her. When inside they undressed each other and laid down on the couch to end up in the bedroom making love all night long.

Third time was their wedding night. Even if they made love the previous night before the wedding, you would think it would be the same the night after. But it was so much more. Making love as husband and wife increased all feelings, more intensity, more desire. Every touch every kiss was so sensual. Beeing married to Rayna and have a family with her is what he always ever wanted in his life. Besides making music nothing else matter to him and finally reached that after their long journey together, it made for a very hot passionate evening and night of making love.

Fourth special time was this time when they reconciled after their fallout from the trial that led to Maddie´s emancipation gone through. During these months of hell they have been so far away from each other that he thought they lost everything between them, the connection, the love, the desire. Even though they still lived in the same house, sleeped in the same bed, he feelt more alone and detached from her then he did during her marriage. At least then they did have the music. They have got past all that now, the two therapy sessions did help. He diden´t really think they would, that they would be like those he got in rehab. They diden´t do squat to help him, he only went to them so he would get out of there. Maybe if he had listen to them more closely things could have gone so different.

While he and Rayna now had worked things out and back to normal, he wished he could say the same thing about his and Maddie´s relationship. Maddie have been home two months now and they still haven´t talked about the situation alone, just the two of them. Neither one of them know what to say, how to begin so everytime they saw each other they both went silent and feelt the awkwardness built up in the room. When they did spoke it was just ordinary conversations. How are you? Did you sleep well? etc. They had a bunch of lawyers over to see what could be done about the emancipation, but it was a done deal, they couldn´t undo it. Rayna did everything in her power to make the contract with Lennox Hill void, she literally went to New York and begged at the managing director herself in person. But to no use, they wouldn´t let Maddie go and Maddie don´t have the money to buy her contract out. Cash and her lawyer had put in some consul that Rayna or Deacon can´t provide the money in any form. So Maddie have to spend a lot of time in New York for the forthcoming future. So here they are now at the cabin for some family time before Maddie has to go and start her album.


	2. Chapter 2

Rayna is standing in the doorway and is looking at Deacon where he is sitting at the porch. He is such a handsome man, more now then he was in his twenties if she should be honest. His normal happiness has returned to his eyes and smile, it did hurt her so much to watch him these past months knowing she was causing at least half the pain. She pushed him away, she know she did but couldn´t stop. The shock that her daughter, their daughter could do this to her own parents, wanted to do this. She know Maddie had distanced her from Daphne, Deacon and herself a bit, that they had their disagreements now and then, spending more time with Cash. But all of that would lead to this, not in a million years. She thought it was just normal teenage stuff.

She was devastated when the judge gave Maddie juristic rights to make her own choices. Up to the trial she and Deacon did comfort each other in th epain and grief. Neither one of them could imagine it would go so far. Then judgement day came after the day Frankie and Cash had given Maddie powerfull information to help her case, all those times Deacon had been in fights and specifically the time Deacon accidentally gave Rayna a black eye. He had never hit her, she know that he never will. She was trying to wake him up and he throwed a arm out to shoo her away and she diden´t have her balance in checked sitting there on the bed that she fell and so unfortunate hit the bed on the edge with her face rewarded her with a black eye. After that incident Deacon got terrified he had hurt her and it led to the longest sobriety period he had without help from rehab. She had to reasure him over and over that it was a accident and he diden´t was like his old man. With all this info the judge was leaning towards Maddie and the nail in the coffin was when Frankie said that Deacon tried to kill him after their little fight which Frankie actually both was the aggressive one and starter off.

It was after the trial she started to push him away, let him stay one extra night in jail before bailing him out. She was blaming him for losing Maddie. Blaming him, Cash, Frankie anyone else rather imiting her own roll in this and that Maddie wanted to be free of her. Deacon apologized so many times and tried so hard to ease the bridges between them but she gave him the cold shoulders most of the times. She knew that it would be easier to get through this together but she couldn´t stop. She saw how much in pain he was too but she diden´t stop anyway.

She realized at some point if they diden´t do anything to the current situation she would lose him. After the cancer threat she tought they were safe and finally could look forward to plan the wedding and start living the life they where meant to live. Not worrying about if Deacon gonna survive and how on earth she would continue to live on without him if the worst would happen. That feeling was one she hoped never to feel again and here it was again. Not as strong as it was then but strong enough to shake her world yet again.

A life without Deacon in it is not worth living. She can´t lose him, she had to do something. So she suggested couple counselling. She thought he would refuse to go but to her surprise he said he thought it was a good idea. Deacon is even more privat and careful about their privatlife then she is. Not wanting the world to know all about them, have their lifes exploited in the media. So discussing their problems with a outsider she diden´t think was high on his list of things to do. Now she is so happy he did, without it she don´t know how long time it would take to solve things on their own. The two sessions they took did really help. They talked about all kind of stuff, started from both childhoods to when they fell in love, Rayna´s marriage and how Deacon coped with that, to the cancer and of course the two biggest most painfull subjects. Deacon´s drinking and Rayna keeping Maddie´s real paternity secret. Dr Voris was great, worth every penny. He challenged them both to really talk and vent on every subject, both good and bad feelings.

After the first session she diden´t feel as angry and disapointed in Deacon as she did before. The blame should be on Cash and Maddie as it should been from the start instead on Deacon. It was Deacon´s latest fight that tipped the judge over but if the verdict was the other way, would it be any different. Maddie could have just run away anyway, who would know. So many times Deacon have saved her from drunks, perverts and in general creeps, often had to use his fists. It wasen´t fair to him that one time when fighting diden´t go their way he should be punished. All he did was for her. She was right when she said to Tandy that he would die for her and for the girls, on her wedding day. She thought she know how much he loved her but she learned more how much during the sessions.

After the second session she came to her senses and realized how badly she had treated him lately and needed to apologize for the way she had acted towards him and herself too. Not allowing them to grief together, draw strenght from each other, seek comfort from the other ones embrace. She missed him, missed his warmth, his touch, his smile. They are suppose to be a team, for better and worse. This certainly classifieds as worse and she blow it, she was the one to fold at the first obstacle in their married life. Therefore it was up to her to set things right. She found him in the music room one evening a couple of days after their second session.

 _"Hey. What are you doing?"_

 _"Hey. Trying to work on some music, I thought I had something but when I was about to write it down it was gone."_

 _"Too bad, I´m sure it will come back to you."_

 _"Yes, maybe it will."_

 _"I have some things I need to say to you Deacon. I want to apologize for the way I been treating you, pushing you away. I got blind to anything else then I lost my daughter, it should been we lost our daughter. I was so blind that I diden´t see that you was hurt too, or that I was hurting you also. I could only feel my pain and blamed you for losing the trial, if you only haden´t fought with Frankie we might never lost. You fighting usually gets you in trouble but it also does good things. I don´t know how many times it have saved us when you fought defending me from all the drunks and perverts. So it wasen´t fair of me to blame you when one time it diden´t help us. I´m so sorry Deacon."_

 _"I´m hurting too, she is my daughter too you know."_

 _"I know. I´m really sorry. You think you will be able to forgive me?"_

 _"You shut me out like that reminded me of the old days and got me scared that I lost you again."_

 _"No never, not after all the trouble I had to get you to marry me."_

Rayna said with a smile and hoped to lighten up the mood. She got a small smile back and after that the conversation flowed with ease and they talked things out all evening until Rayna decided they were done talking and ready for seduction. She had missed him, missed everything about him, kisses, sex, cosing up on the couch. Even when she was angry and upset with him, her body ached for him. It was torture to sleep in the same bed and not be able to sleep the way they used to, naked and entangled in each other. Sleeping apart was what she did with Teddy and Luke and she diden´t want to be reminded of that or the men themself either for that matter. Deacon and her sleeping close to each other started with their first tour bus, even with the master bedroom the bed was small, the entire room was cramped. They were in love so of course they slept in each other´s arms. Even with more money which led to bigger buses and beds they continue sleeping close entangled.

* * *

Rayna smiles when she remembered what happen next that day. She moved from her spot on the couch to Deacon and straddled him. Once in his lap she started slowly unbutton her blouse and she noticed how his eyes darkened with desire immediately. She has to be be careful to not use sex as a weapon here. They have both done it in the past, used make up sex to end a argument. They both know how to seduce each other and how easy it would be if they really want it. Their love is deep and the fire between them has been there from the second they met. She tried to burried that when she was married to teddy, but it was always there somewhere. She did never cheat on Teddy but it was close a couple of times. The closest time was that increadible hot kiss in the elevator in Chicago, after it she sent Deacon a text to come and talk. She meant it then, they should just talk but if she should be honest she hoped to kiss him again. And if Deacon had come to her room before Teddy who knows what had happened. That kiss was so amazing and she will always treasure that moment.

After she was done with her buttons she pushed it open but left the blouse on and moved her hands to his shirt buttons.

"Are we done talking? Do you have any more to get off your chest before we use a diffrent language or just the shirt?"

She said smiling. He smiled too and put his hands on her butt.

"No I think we said it all."

"Then may I proceed?"

"Yes please. I have missed you Ray, missed this. I want you, I need you so much."

"I know, I have missed you too, need you, always gonna need you."

She started to unbutton his shirt and pushed it aside to caress his upper chest body. His hands travelled up to remove her blouse and bra. She leaned forward to kiss him, and again and again until they got lost in their desire and love for each other and they finally made love the rest of the night.

* * *

Rayna smiles at the memorys of the night they reconciled. She opens the door and steps out on the porch, the noice make Deacon turn his head and his eyes lit up at the sight of her. She walks over to him and sits down in his lap. He put his arms around her waist to support her and hold her in place.

"Hey."

"Hey. What are you doing out here?"

"Thinking of you, us. On how much I love you, how much you mean to me."

"Mmm good thoughts then." Rayna said and giving him light kisses on the cheek.

"Very." He capture her lips with his for proper kisses. "It´s quiet. Where are the girls? They can´t be in bed already? It is still early."

"They are. They wore themselves out helping you cut all of that firewood."

"I´m sorry. They asked if they could help and I couldn´t see why not."

"Don´t be. It´s fine. They don´t help around the house that often so it´s only good to see them work sometimes. Besides it gives us more you and me time."

"Well that is true. Do you have any plans?"

"It´s too cold to go skinny dip so we have to do that another time. How about old fashion love making by the fire, but we have to skip the fire in case one of the girls wake up."

"Our speciality."

"It sure is." Rayna stood up and held her hand out to help Deacon up. Together hand in hand they walked into the cabin to their bedroom.


	3. Chapter 3

Deacon woke up by warm kisses to his chest and his arms automaticly harden around her body.

"Good morning my love."

"Morning. Is it time to get up?" Deacon started to move his hands gentle in big circles on Rayna´s back.

"Don´t know but I can use more of this." Rayna straddled him and put her hands on his chest and leaned down and kissed him and that´s all it needs to get them going to their bliss of passion.

## Rayna & Deacon ##

Rayna is sitting and still drinking her coffee at the counter when Maddie walks in.

"Hey."

"Good morning sweetie. You want some breakfast?"

"Yes please. I´m starving after all that work yesterday. My arms are hurting. Where are the others? Have they already eaten?"

As soon as Maddie asked they heard Daphnes´s giggling laughter from the open doors. They both turned their heads and looked outside where they saw Deacon and Daphne walking over the lawn. They were talking, laughing and smiling, Deacon had a rod over his left shoulder and put his right arm on Daphne´s shoulder as they walked down to the water.

"Yes they already ate."

"Mom, do you think dad will ever be that comfortable with me again, like he is with Daphne?"

"Give it more time. You really hurted him you know. He needs more time."

"I know I did. I had no intention of hurting you and dad. I only wanted to perform, let people hear my music, go on a tour. But you guys always said no, that I got to wait. I´m so sorry."

"We just wanted to protect you from the darker side of this industry. Not have to go through the things I had to do when I started. To just have the pro´s and not the con´s. If you just had waited a little bit more we would have presented our plan for you and Daphne. We did had one, we diden´t signed you girls to Highway 65 to just let it be on paper. I know I said over and over you have to finish school first but I had no intention of beeing like my daddy and forbid you or Daphne to sing and perform. I just wanted you to be older and not just in years."

"What was the plan?"

"I know the age difference between you and Daphne are more then the actually four years at the moment so we were gonna suggest you girls do six songs together and then two solo songs each on the album. And performing wise you could sing at places like the Bluebird, the Beverly, local and safe places around town with one of us present."

"That sounds actually pretty cool. Knowing that now I wish even more that I never met Cash. Then nothing of this would have happened."

"I wish that too."

Both mother and daughter got quit a few minuts.

"You said in court that you were afraid of Deacon, is it true? Do you really feel that, that he would hurt you physical?"

"No, not entirely. I did got a little scared when I saw what he did to the room he set up for aunt Beverly. Then he pushed that photographer after the rehearsal dinner so hard that he fell to the ground, and a little more when Frankie told the lawyer all those things dad did in the past. But no, I diden´t think he would hit me or anything."

"Ok good, because he would never hit you, or me, or Daphne. He would rather die then hurt anyone of us. We have been in many fights during our years together. One of the worst fights were when he was drunk as so many other times. I was pissed of that he missed a show, he was jealous and angry that I was friendly towards Luke because he helped out and jumped in when Deacon diden´t show up for my set. We were standing face to face, literally just a couple of inches apart yelling at each other at the top of our lungs. And not for one second I thought he would hit me, not then or another time for that matter either. I think I even pushed him a couple of times. Has he hit people, yes he has. more then I can count. Has he a temper, yes he has sometimes. Is he a violent person, no he isen´t. If he was I would never been together with him for eleven years, not invited him back in my band, not let him spend time with you girls, not marry him. Deacon is a wonderful man, I love him so much, always have."

"Then why diden´t you tell him about me, tell him that you were pregnant back then? Don´t tell me it´s complicated, I heard that already. I´m almost seventeen, I think I can handle more now."

"Well it is. But it was not for fear of physical abuse, more for emotional pain and hurt. Not knowing where he is, if he was gonna show up, or gonna be behind the wheel driving drunk and might kill himself or other people. I was geting tired of all that and was worrying me sick at the end of our relationship. More then one time we had to reschedule our departure from some citys due to Deacon was passed out somewhere and not back to the bus in time and we had to stress to get in time to our show. Sometimes we diden´t and Bucky had to deal with it and try to soothe things over. The drinking aside, the worst part was not knowing where he was. He could be dead, or lie in a ditch, or in a hospital. There was no cellphones back then so you couldn´t just call him and find out. With his drinking geting worse and his in and out of rehab diden´t work I thought I couldn´t raise a baby in that environment. I diden´t want you also to live like that. But I was gonna tell Deacon. I suspected it was Deacon´s after our short reunion at this very cabin. At that point I had already broken up with him and had started dating Teddy. Teddy said we should get married and find out who was the father after the wedding. Both Tandy and Teddy was against telling Deacon, they talked me into not telling. I guess like what Cash did with you. Anyway I found some courage and went here to the cabin to tell him, unfortunately Tandy was with me. When we arrived and saw him through the windows, he was drunk and angry and had trashed the living room. Then I lost the courage and Tandy talked me out of it again and we drove back without even stepped foot inside. Teddy and I got married and then the years just rolled by. I saw how good Teddy was with you. He loved you from the start not showing anything that you wasen´t his biological daughter. When was a good time to blow up his world and yours by telling the truth. The guilt faded a bit for every year passing. I thought by telling Deacon would set him back to drinking again after finally manage to stay sober after that fifth time in rehab. That is why I invited him back as my band leader so he could be around you, get to know you even if neither of you know it then. It wasen´t right to both of you, but the best I could do without telling. I´m so sorry Maddie, I really am."

"Wow, that was really more then it´s complicated." Maddie said breathing out like she had hold her breath this entire time.

Rayna smiled. "Yes it was. I hoped I covered everything and it explained some to you."

"It did answer a bunch of questions and thoughts I had been wanting to know why. Thanks Mom for telling me."

"I guess it was about time."

"I wish I could talk to dad like this, set things right between us."

"As I said give it more time. He don´t like the current situation either I can tell you. Try to talk to him before we leave tomorrow. Now how about that breakfast , what would you like to have?"

"I could go with some yoghurt with cereals and fruit please." Maddie said smiling.

## Rayna & Deacon ##

The wooden boards creaked announced that someone was coming, Deacon and Daphne turned their heads to see Maddie walking towards them.

"Hi Daphne. Mom wants your help to bake some brownies."

"Oh I love brownies." Daphne said smiling big against Deacon.

"I know you do sweetie."

Daphne got up and hugged him quickly. "Bye Deacon." She said before rushing to the cabin. Deacon looked after her with a big smile on.

"Hey Dad."

"Hey."

"Can we talk for a bit? I hate it, the way things our between us. I´m so sorry Dad, I diden´t mean to hurt you like that. I never thought it would go that far. I only thought I would be able to perform, record albums and go on tours without you or mom saying no. That is what Cash said, that if I did this I could decide for myself."

"Then why couldn´t you just waited one year and three months? Then we would have nothing to say about it or rather you diden´t have to listen to us, you could do as you please.

"I don´t know. Felt like I had waited a lifetime already. Cash said several record companys wanted to sign me."

"But you already had a contract. Your mama and me had plans for you."

"Yeah she told me just now when we was talking this morning. I wish I knew before, then maybe I wouldn´t have let Cash talked me into it. Then maybe I wouldn´t be in this mess and hurt everyone in my family. Do you think you will be able to forgive me Dad?"

"You hurted me Maddie, even worse you hurted your mother and when she is hurting I hurt even more. It braked my heart to see her so devasted. She is the only woman I have ever loved, wanted to love. She is my life, have been since the moment we met. Your actions followed by my actions almost costed us our marriage. It took us therapy to get back to each other. These months was probably the worst ones in my life, the risk of losing it all. When I finally have what I always wanted, Rayna and a family to come home to. It was pure hell. So if I can forgive, I don´t know, I hope so. I want to, I really do."

"I diden´t know it was that bad between you." Maddie said and started to cry. "I´m really sorry Dad. I wish I could undo everything."

"So do I. Come here." Deacon took her in his arms and hugged her tight. "You are still my daughter and I love you but to put all of what you did behind me will take time."

"You forgave mom for not telling you about me. She told me about that this morning also. I asked and she answered."

"I did so I will with you too eventually. But forgiving Rayna was easy enough once the anger faded away, beacuse the alternative to not forgive was unthinkable. To live without her in my life, never to be near her, hold her, kiss her. I love her so much, always have always will. I can´t even think about it."

"So what now?"

"We continue our lives and time will help us get past this."

"Ok, love you Dad."

"Love you too Maddie."

## Rayna & Deacon ##

Daphne woke up and at first she diden´t know where she was, it was not entirely dark and she could hear a fire crackling. She must have fallen asleep on the couch in the living room. They had sang all together like they used to and roasted some marshmallows and made s´mores and ate the brownies she baked this morning. Maddie said she talked to Deacon and they were better now. She couldn´t see Maddie anywhere but Deacon and her mom where there. They were sitting on the floor by the fire, Deacon leaned his back to a armchair and her mom was sitting in his lap sideways. Deacon was alternating between light kisses on her lips and whispering something in her ear. Her mom caressed his forearms that was secured locked around her waist. Daphne couldn´t hear what Deacon was whispering but what struckt out was how happy they both were, her mom closed her eyes now and then and had such a satisfied smile on. She looked like she was in heaven.

Daphne liked seeing them happy after the recent year with cancer, aunt Beverly´s death and Maddie´s emancipation and that they diden´t hide their love for each other. She has always loved Deacon from when he was uncle Deacon, when she learned he was Maddie´s dad it was a bit confusing, how was that possible. She wasen´t thrilled about him after the accident that almost killed them and when her parents got divorced. She was relieved when her mom diden´t marry Luke and got back together with Deacon again. Luke was ok, but Deacon was better. Then when he was sick the love returned to full force. After Deacon got well he really did became the perfect stepdad and comforted her when her dad got arrested and later to prison.

At first she diden´t want to believe he could do all those things they said he did. To buy sex from a prostitute and then embezzle money from the city to cover it all up. But as he hasen´t been released from prison yet he must be guilty. Her mom tries to keep things from her, they sometimes thinks she is still a little girl, she is thirteen now. She knows what sex is. It rumours that several girls at her school as done it already, one in her class even. She hasen´t even found one boy cute enough to try kissing yet, definitely not anything else. But someday she hopes someone will look at her the way Deacon looks at her mom.

Until she came up here to the cabin she really haden´t realized how much Deacon loves her mom. All these photos and pictures of them together still hanging on the walls. Deacon has never taken them down even when her mom was married to her dad for thirteen years. They looked so young and so much in love.

She noticed Deacon was looking at her now.

"Ray, sleeping beauty is awake. Maybe we should take her to her bed."

"Mmm I like it fine just here where I am." Rayna opened her eyes and followed his to where Daphne was lying on the coach. "Oh you meant Daphne. Yeah lets get her to the bed."

They got up from the floor and headed over to the couch. Rayna removed the blanket and Deacon picked Daphne up in his arms.

"You don´t have to carry me, I can walk."

"It´s no problem sweetie."

Daphne diden´t argue and rested her head against his chest. She guessed she was too heavy to be carried but it was a long time since anyone did, probably her dad. She felt safe like she did when she was little. They reached her bed and Deacon laid her down, kissed her forehead and pulled the quilt over her.

"Good night sweetheart. Sleep tight."

"Good night Dad." Daphne mumbled sleepily, saw how his eyes lit up before closing her own and was smiling happily as she snuggled into the pillow.

"Night night my sweet girl."

They stepped out of the room and closed the door. They walked down the hallway to their room.

"I will be back in a moment. I´m just gonna secure the fire and lock down and turn off the lights."

When Deacon returned to their bedroom Rayna was sitting on the bed in just her panties and a t-shirt. Deacon sat down on the bed and took her hands in his.

"She called me dad, Ray."

"I heard. That was very sweet of her to do."

"That means a lot to me, that she lets me be her dad when Teddy can´t be here for her. That makes me so happy she think of me like that."

"She loves you, as we all do. I´m happy she don´t feel like she is on the outside anymore."

"I´m happy for that too."

"You know what would make me even happier right about now?"

"What?"

"For you to get rid of those clothes and make good of those promises you whispered earlier."

"It would be my pleasure." Deacon stood up and stripped out of his clothes and joined now a naked Rayna in bed and their love for each other took over as it always does.


	4. Chapter 4

Deacon came home from dropping off Daphne at school and saw Rayna was home sitting at the counter drinking coffee.

"Hey. What are you still doing home? Diden´t you say you where going to the office?"

"Yes I did but I changed my mind. I called Bucky and asked if he could handle the day without me so I could play hookey today. I have a couple of propositions for you."

"This early? It isen´t nine o´clock yet."

"Not that, but we can do that later. As I recall it usually is part of our process. Have you given any thoughts of what you are gonna do with your spare time now when you don´t have the Beverly to deal with?"

"I have but haven´t come up with anything good yet."

"In a couple of months it´s three years ago I started Highway 65 so Bucky and I are gonna throw a party, we haden´t have one since the release party. First thing I want to ask you if you want to be the houseband leader and lead guitar?"

"Of course I want to do that for you, you don´t even have to ask me."

"Well, I just can´t assume you want to do it, even if I think you love too."

"In this case you can Ray. Who will be perfoming?"

"All my artists and if we can get hold of any guest artists. That leads to the second thing I want to ask you, I want you and me to write a new song for us to sing together."

"I would love too. I haved missed writing with you."

"So have I. As you said before making music is so intimate. I have missed making music with you. I diden´t realized how much until I started producing Marcus´s album. I want to get in the studio again but not with that egocentric spoiled boy, but with you. Remember what I said before the surgery, I wanted to make a album with you. I do, I really want to do a album with you again. That´s the third thing. We haven´t since age of time it seems, and then somehow it ended up just beeing my name on the albums not ours."

"I would love too, anything for you baby. Making music with you is the second best thing in my life. And for the albums, you are the star Ray, I just play guitar."

"Don´t be modest Deacon. You are the best songwriter, singer and guitar player I have ever worked with. That leads up to number four. I would like to sign you to Highway 65 as a solo artist. The world deserves to hear that beautiful music you can make and I could use more male artists. I have Gunnar since Marcus only did one album and he is just a boy. I´m not interested in boys since well before I met you. You were more a man then a boy when we met not like those boys daddy wanted me to meet at the country club. Rich mens sons dressed up in suits and tuxedos thinking they are men. I want men, I need more men."

"Oh no you don´t. You belong to me remember, you are my wife."

"Not like that, smartass. Why would I want to have any other man then mine. I already have the best, you are the only one for me." Rayna put her arms around his neck and kissed him breathless. "I want only you ... you ... you," she whispered between kisses until she thought the message was clear enough. "I know it is a lot of writing to do but it don´t have to be done this year or even next year. Will you think about it babe?"

"Yes of course I will think about it. It wouldn´t be that much of work actually you know. I have a few songs from when I was on Luke´s tour, I got a lot of spare time to write then. As I diden´t feel like to hang out with Luke and his band that much."

"Ah yeah that. Have I apologized enough for that? I´m so sorry."

"Yes you have."

"Not my finest moment in life."

"It´s all in the past Ray. We are married and we have the rest of our lives together."

"That we do. I´m so lucky that you are so forgiven for all things I did to you."

"No, I´m the lucky one, you have given me more chances then I deserve. You have forgiven me too."

"Okey, we are both lucky we have the ability to forgive even if it takes time."

"Speaking of forgiven, now that things are better between Maddie and me, we have to tend to Daphne. We have been neglecting her a bit."

"Yeah I know. We need to discuss her. What are we gonna do with Daphne´s contract?"

"You mean now when she can´t sing with Maddie?"

"Yes."

"You may think she is too young but I think you should sign her as a solo artist. It´s not like we are gonna send her away on a tour by herself. We could let her record a EP or a album if she wants to and then she could play with one of us present at some places. I don´t know if there is any special places that children can sing, but there has to be right?"

"I don´t know either, but I´m sure it has to be. Maddie was at a children open mic thing, remember when she invited you up to sing with her."

"Yeah, that´s right. I remember that now when you mention it. She could also sing at your anniversary party."

"That´s a good idea. It´s in a safe and secure enviroment, it´s perfect for her to start singing solo. Don´t you think she is still too young? Is she ready for it all? I just want to protect them from the ugly side of this business. I don´t want Daphne to ever think the way Maddie did, that I was holding her back and wanting to stop her pursuing a career in music."

"I know you said you wanted them to finish school first but you did sign them both so you should keep your promise and we will be here both of us to help her. She will be safe and she will be killing it, just like her mama."

That earned him a kiss.

"Maddie is more impulsive, she got the worst side from both of us. Daphne is the calm one."

"I know. Daphne got a lot of Teddy in her but look at those crazy things he did."

"True but she got a lot from you too. The best parts, warmth, kindness and beauty. Daphne will grow up to be a extraordinary woman, just following in her mama´s footsteps and will make someone be as happy as I am, falling in love with her someday. But they have to get pass me and my shotgun first."

"You don´t have a shotgun."

"I can buy one."

"No you wont. But I have no doubt you will threat some poor boy by saying you do."

"It´s what a good father would do. Protect his little girl, it´s tradition."

"It may be so but we can´t have dead teenage boys lying on our lawn."

"No that would look bad but they have to proven themselves to date our daughter."

"We have to let her chose herself. If I would have listen to my father I would never dated you remember. I was even kicked out of the house for fallen in love with you, for chosing you and music."

"Point taken, but I don´t have to like it."

"No, I´m not thrilled she are going to date soon either but that is the way of life. You don´t want her to be alone all her life do you? It would be sad if she or Maddie never get to feel the kind of love we have."

"No, not when you put it that way. I do want them to experience true love and be loved back."

"Thankfully we don´t have to deal with that at the moment, for now she is just our sweet girl."

"Should we tell Daphne our plan for her after dinner tonight?"

"Sounds good."

"So what now?"

"We could get working on that song. By the way what is the first best thing, if writing music is second best?"

"You Ray. Always you. You are the best thing that ever happened to me." Deacon leaned forward and kissed her. They continued to kiss until they decided a little love making would jiggle their memory how to write a love song.

# # Rayna & Deacon # #

After dinner were ate and cleaned away.

"Daphne, come and sit with us for a while, we have somethings to talk to you about."

"Have I done something wrong?"

"No no, nothing like that sweetie."

They all sat down in the living room.

"We want to talk to you about yours and Maddie´s contract. Since she can´t sing with you, well I mean she can´t record anything with you under Highway 65. I diden´t mean she never can sing with you again honey."

"So we are gonna change the contact to solo from duo if you don´t have any friend you want to sing with?"

"No well I have friends, not to be mean but they don´t sing like I do or Maddie does. I don´t want to sing with anyone then Maddie."

"Then we change it to solo."

"But I haven´t sung all by myself, on a stage I mean."

"I know but you don´t have to be. Someone of us will always be with you. If you chose Deacon most of the times he could be right there on stage with you playing guitar, while me have to stand at the side entrance. Be the solid rock to you as he was for me, which I could depend on when I needed itthe most. Wont you Deacon?"

"Always. Anything for my girls."

"Would you do that for me?"

"Absolutly, whenever I have the time. But performing on a stage isen´t everything, you don´t have to do that if you don´t want to. You could record a EP or a album. Time is different from when your mama and me started out. We had to write songs, record them, play live every place every chance that was given us. Hoping to get radio time and go on tours. We got our break and then it´s just rolled on. That´s the short story on how your mama got to be the reigning Queen of Country."

Rayna rolled her eyes at him. "Anyway now with the internet and youtube there is other ways to get music out. You know I don´t like social media that much, it´s often causing more bad stuff then good. But we are using it for my other artists so you can use that channel also to get your music out."

"So I can actually be allowed to use social media now?" Daphne´s whole face lit up.

"With a few rules on what to not write and what pictures not to post. But other then that basically yes you are and we will use Highway 65´s social media too."

"Ok cool. Then I guess I need some songs. I don´t know if I can write songs without Maddie. I have only written one song on my own."

"If you like it start with that one, or if it needs work, rewrite it a little. You can ask Maddie if you can record some of the songs you wrote together. The one you played at our rehearsel dinner was very good. I don´t think Maddie´s label is gonna let her use them, but you need her permisson to record them yourself. You can always ask me or Deacon for help or advice, we will always be here for you."

"Yeah just come ask us, we do have written a couple of songs, haven´t we Ray? Deacon said with a smile.

"Yes one or two I believe we have." Rayna was smiling too. You can always ask Maddie if she wants to write with you. Co-writing isen´t against the rules of her contract. People do it all the time."

"I can? That makes me feel a lot better."

"Yeah, just ask Maddie. I´m sure she will help you when she is home and have some time over."

"We have one more thing sweetie. I´m going to have a three year anniversary party for Highway 65 where all my artists will perform. So I´m wondering if you want to sing there too? Deacon will be there, he is gonna play lead guitar for everyone."

"Will you sing too, Mom?"

"Yes, I´m thinking of doing one on my own and a duet with Deacon. I can sing a song together with you also if that makes you more comfortable."

"Yes I would like that and if that feels ok maybe I could sing one on my own."

"Of course sweetie. That´s a plan then."

"Will Maddie be there?"

"I will invite her naturally, even if she isen´t one of my artists any more, she is my daughter. It´s up to her if she wants to come and if she does, we might be lucky and maybe she could sing too depending on her label considering if it is wise for her career or not. To be more associated with the mother she emancipated or the publicity it will give her. Afterall Maddie is using my name, don´t know if it was Cash or Maddie´s idea, could even be the label heads doing. And with no Cash to tell Maddie othervise I think she will come."

"Hope so, it would be more fun if she does."

"So do we sweetheart. Having the whole family there and singing would be great. I think Maddie wants to support her mama."

"Are you singing too Deacon, besides the song you are doing with mom?

"Yes I am. She talked me into signing with her."

"So you are accepting my offer then babe?"

"Of course I am. Did you really have doubt that I wouldn´t? You should know that I can´t say no to you, never will."

"Hmmm so you mean I can ask you for anything and I will get it? Rayna said smiling and moved from the seat next to Daphne and sat down beside Deacon. She pressed a soft kiss on his lips.

"Pretty much anything except a divorce, that I will never give you."

"No, why would I want that. You are mine to keep. For ever and always. But I can think about a few other things you can do for me." Rayna said smiling and put one hand on his knee and caressed it with her thumb.

"Just name it, anything for you baby."

# # Rayna & Deacon # #

After they talked Daphne suggested movie night and they agreed. Daphne chosed movie, Rayna did the popcorn and Deacon got drinks. Once all tasks where done they snuggled down on the couch with Deacon in the middle with Rayna and Daphne on either side of him. Daphne miss Maddie every time she has to go to New York. It´s a bit strange she isen´t coming home every day now. From beeing together all the time to be alone, but moments like this totally weight up for it. If she should be honest it´s pretty nice to have both her mom´s and Deacon´s full attention all to herself. She loves days like this when they do things together like movies, singing and going to the cabin. And now they are gonna let her record a album and sing at her mom´s party, which she assumes takes a lot of their time. It will be scary do to this without Maddie but Deacon said he will be there.

She always feel safe beeing with him, when he is around. She loves her sister but what she can´t understand is how and why Maddie said she was afraid of him. He has never done anything to them and after all Maddie did to get Deacon and their mom back together. How happy she was when it happened and then to do this to him. It don´t make sense what so ever. Why Maddie wanted so badly to sing that she rather do it alone then with the support from her family, specially when both your mom and dad are musicians and are in the business you want in on. She would never do that, she loves when they sing all four of them together, like they did at Fort Campbell.

Sometimes she wish Deacon was her real father too, not fair to her dad at all but sometimes she does. Not that he would love her more or she would love him more then she already do, but just that her mom and Deacon belongs together. Their love for each other is undeniable, you could see how much they love each other just by looking at them and if she was Deacon´s too they could had been a family a long time ago. Daphne took her eyes of the movie and looked over to them. Deacon had his left hand over hers that was on his thigh and the other one around her waist. He looked at her mom with so much warmth in his eyes. Daphne snuggled even closer to Deacon with a smile and returned to watch the movie.

# # Rayna & Deacon # #

Up in their bedroom Rayna was sitting on the bed while Deacon was in the bathroom.

"While we watched the movie I got this crazy idea, that I have to talk to Bucky about. But what if we could build a studio at Highway 65. If we are gonna record, you are, Daphne and all my other artists are. That will be a lot of studio time and very expensive, building a studio isen´t gonna be cheap either, but in the long run it would save a lot of money. I saw those receipted invoices from when Avery produced Sadie´s album. It was very expensive and I know from when I was in the studio with Marcus, it could get out of hand with time. Every hour after normal open hours cost extra and when he wasen´t focused and couldn´t get any work done you still have to pay for the time you rented the studio. It would save time also, we could both be working late either together or seperate but we wouldn´t feel we are neglecting time together, not letting the other one waiting and could go home together. And we could make love when we feel like it when we record if we have our own studio."

Deacon stepped out from the bathroom in just a towel. Rayna´s eyes darkend immediately with desire. It´s incredible that it still has this effect on her after twenty-five years, his almost naked body.

"Like that has stopped us in the past Ray?"

"No but that was when we were young and nobody know who we were. Now I don´t want to read *Rayna Jaymes having wild sex with her husband at a rented studio downtown* headline the next day. And poor Bucky will have to deal with it, you should have seen his face when I was divorcing Teddy and my publisher at the time asked me if there was a sextape, when the rumours of you and me was at it worst. I thought he was gonna have a heartattack."

"How come we diden´t do that? We did almost everything else there is."

"We diden´t have to, we offered people the live show. Again poor Bucky and a couple of janitors that caught us midact, I don´t know how many times."

"Most times it was my naked butt they saw."

"True and it´s a nice one to look at if you ask me, but I was the one that got eye contact with them. Except that time one janitor got the full glory sight of me in a exposed position."

"Well I´m sorry for that, it was bad timing to get some water. I hope he know how lucky he was that day though, to see what only I get to see. How perfect and beautiful you really are Ray, aroused and naked."

"It may be but I was so embarrassed. Thankfully it was before Bucky´s time and we haden´t made a name for us yet so it diden´t end up in the papers."

"Yeah thank god for that and that internet diden´t exist back then."

"Oh god, what a horror that would be. Just thinking of people tweeting about it and that picture would circle the net forever and pop up when you least expect it."

"That would be a nightmare indeed. But you were not too embarrassed Ray to not continue what we were doing once he left."

"Well what can I say. We were young and in love and you can turn me on like no one else can. Still do with a touch, with a look, with just beeing you. Definitely dressed like that." Rayna stood up and walked over to him. She stroked his arms to move to caress his chest while she kissed his neck, cheek and lips. "So you think I shall do it?"

"Build the studio? Yes I can see it will come in handy and I can´t wait to break it in with you but until then we have to use our bed right here."

"Sounds good to me." She said and lowered her hand and removed the towel. She backed them both back the the bed and tumbled down together.


	5. Chapter 5

Rayna was in her office working when she heard a knock, she looked up and saw Deacon leaning against the doorframe.

"Hey there good-looking."

"Hey."

"What are you doing here?"

"Bucky wanted to talk to me about the houseband, so I thought I pop down here and see how the studio is coming along while I was at it."

"Oh yeah? How is it going? I haven´t checked for a couple of days."

"It seemed going just fine, I talked to one of them and he said they should be done right after christmas."

"That´s good news, then we can start record in January. What a great start on the new year and what a exciting year it will be for Highway 65."

"All to your hard work Ray."

"I haven´t done it all by myself. I have a excellent staff and Bucky, I don´t know what I would do without him. Both as my manager during all these years and now helping me so much running this label. I should really give him a pay raise."

"He is a good guy, you probably should give him more money, he is worth every penny."

"Yes he is."

"I had one more reason to come down too, I want to take my lovely wife out to lunch. Are you free?"

"For you always." Rayna stood up, took her purse and they walked out to his car. "What did you have in mind?"

"I thought we might go down to the river and have a picnic."

"A picnic by the river, you think you will get lucky?" She said smiling.

"Maybe, it wouldn´t be the first time."

"No definitely not and I´m sure it´s not the last time either."

They reached the car and drove away.

# # Rayna & Deacon # #

Deacon was sitting in the music room working on some music. He played a few notes then wrote something down then played some more on the guitar and wrote again and so on. Daphne had been standing outside the door for at least five minutes now wondering if she should disturb him or not. She opened the door and stepped in.

"Hi."

"Hi sweetie. Come in."

"I hope I´m not interrupting you?"

"Not at all, just working on a song."

"For you or for mom?"

"I don´t know if this one is going to ever be recording, if it is then me, it´s about Rayna."

"How do you do it?"

"Write about your mama? Easy from love."

"No, I diden´t mean just that, I meant writing songs in general. I have tried to write ever since you guys told me I could do a album. It´s not going well, I´m not geting anywhere. When Maddie and I wrote our songs she played at the same time, so do you. So I was wondering if it helps if you can play guitar? I can only a few chords that Maddie has taught me."

"Hmmm interesting question. No one have actually never asked me that question. I think it does help but I can´t say for sure as I haven´t tried without. I learned to play guitar when I was very young and my mama taught me how to play piano too."

"So you have always played some instrument then when written songs?"

"Yes I have, but now when I think about it I remember when I injured my hand in the accident. I couldn´t play guitar and even play the piano with that hand was painful, then I had trouble writing. So maybe it´s true."

"So if you and Maddie plays guitar, mom plays piano. What will that leave me? I will never write any songs then, I can´t play anything."

"That´s not true. You play the ukulele, I have heard you."

"Yeah, but that´s not a cool instrument, it´s more like a toy. How many big country artists do you know who plays ukulele?"

Deacon chuckled and raised his hands in surrender. "You got me there. I can´t say I do know of anyone. I can teach you how to play if you want to? Like I did with Maddie, give you guitar lessons."

"You will?"

"Yes and as you know the basics I think you will learn pretty fast. A few chords and a few strings more that´s all."

"You think I really could learn how to play? Since mom can´t play and I figured Maddie got her skills from you."

"Yes I do. You know Rayna said that her mom, your grandmother was a musician and played the guitar. They say that it usually skip one generation, so if your mama diden´t inherit her skill you might have."

"Do you really think so?"

"One way to find out, lets start immediately. Just let me find you a suitable guitar. I know the perfect one." Deacon went around the room. Daphne smiled big when he put a guitar in her hands.

# # Rayna & Deacon # #

Rayna answered her phone without looking at it.

"Hello."

"Rayna? Hi, it´s Sadie."

"Sadie! What´s up girl? Are you feeling better now?

"Much better thanks. It´s been good to go back to familiar grounds, walk the same muddy roads and fields as I did as a kid. No reporters in sight."

"I know that feeling."

"I´m ready to get back to work, at least finish the album, performing wise I´m not sure. So I was wondering if I still could considering Highway 65 as home? If you still want me on your label?"

"Yes of course I still want you. I´m so glad to hear that you want to finish the album, you got so much talent girl. It would be a crime to the world to not let them hear it."

"Thanks Rayna, it means a lot to me to stay here."

"A few things has happened while you were away. Juliette isen´t one of my artists any more so I don´t know if Avery is available to produce for you, but we can ask him."

"Yes lets do that. He was great to work with, knew exactly what was missing or what did need tuning on. I hope he will accept and want to work with me again. It´s almost finished, two more songs maybe."

"Yeah, he is great. Me and Bucky really love what you already had recorded, it sounds amazing."

"A new producer may not think the same and then we are back to square one."

"Yeah I know, been there. It´s not fun at all. So when are you coming back to Nashville? Or are you already here?

"No, I´m still back home. I was thinking early next year, staying here during the holidays."

"Excellent. I know you said you wasen´t sure about performing yet, but I have a perfect place if you feel up for it. I´m planning a anniversary party for Highway 65 for radio directors, magazine publishers, record stores owners etc. All my artists are performing and you could be my surprise guest star."

"I don´t know Rayna."

"You don´t have to answer now, just think about it ok? But I hope you will come as a normal guest."

"That I can say for sure, I would love too. To meet everyone again."

"You have to come around the house for dinner once you are back. To meet my husband and my girls. You never met Deacon did you?"

"No, our pathes diden´t cross before. I heard that you got married. Congratulation. How is it to be married again?"

"Thanks. It´s great now that I have the right guy, it´s all that I have dreamt of. I love him so much, always have and now we are finally married. Get to wake up in his arms every morning, it´s incredible. We had a major crisis a couple of months ago. Long story, I will tell you later but it´s all good now."

"Good, I´m happy for you."

"Thanks. I´m happy you feel better and are coming back."

"Yeah so am I. It´s been two tough years."

"I can only imagine. Take care until I see you again Sadie."

"I will do that and I call you when I get back to Nashville for that dinner."

"I´m looking forward to it."

"Me too. Bye Rayna."

"Bye."

# # Rayna & Deacon # #

Maddie and Glenn was sitting in a conference room at Lennox Hill and waiting to meet her new manager. Maddie was fiddleing with a string on her jacket.

"Are you nervous? Don´t be, it will go just fine you will see."

"A little, I think it works fine with you and now it will be someone new."

"I know, but I can´t be your manager permanent. It´s to much for me to travel back and forth like this. I´m no that young anymore."

"I know, I´m so thankful to Juliette for letting me loan you for a while and you of course for doing it."

"It have been fun, you remind me of Juliette when I first met her. Young and so enthusiastic to get what you want. I know you look at Juliette as a role model but I hope you don´t do half of the things she has done. I love her like a daughter I never had but she has done things both me and her are not proud of. Many things I don´t approve or recommend for a young girl. There have been close many times that I just have wanted to walk away, but she diden´t have anyone else to look after her. If I had abandon her only god knows what trouble she would get herself in and even worse things could happen to her."

"What sorts of things has she done?"

"I don´t think it´s wise to tell you everything, but as you she too had to deal with men that have no moral and see no wrong in to take advantages of young girls who wants to make it. Unfortunately it happens all too often in this industry and not just men prey on young girls, but women on young boys too. Offering to make them stars for sexual favours. So therefore we believe a female manager which happen to be a producer as well would suit you better and will take a load of worrying away from Rayna and Deacon, me and Juliette as well."

"Do you know her?"

"Just of her, not personally no. She has quite the experience for being rather young, just thirty something years. Her name is Heather and she is married to David who plays guitar and can play for you when you record."

The door opened and in walks two women. One was Caitlyn Donovon and the other one presumably should be Heather then. They walked to the table and she reach her hand out.

"Hi, my name is Heather Black. You must be Maddie and Glenn." They all shoke hands.

"Hi, it´s nice to meet you Mrs Black."

"Hi."

"No, call me Heather, if we are gonna be working so close we can skip the formalities. So Maddie, I have been listening to what you have done so far. You got some real talent, I diden´t expect anything else from the daughter of Rayna Jaymes and Deacon Claybourne. It would be a crime of nature if you diden´t inherited some of their talents."

"Do you know them?"

"No, I haven´t had the pleasure of meeting them. I admire them and love their music. Rayna´s voice and the way she sings is perfect, absolutely heaven. And Deacon´s guitar skills, well I fell in love with a guitar player of my own too, so that speaks for itselfs. I heard you reconciled with your parents again so I hope I get a chance to meet them one day."

"Yes we did sort of. We are still working it out, but it´s a lot better now. I diden´t think about the consequences my words and actions would affect them. Cash made it out to be so easy, just say this and do that and it would be so great for me. She filled my head with this fantasy world. We would record albums, touring around the whole country, playing at sold out arenas, going to amazing partys, meeting celebrities. I know now she was more looking out for herself and her way to live life, then me and my life. Now I´m a bit ashamed that I listened to her and ignored everything my parents thought me and told me about how they started up."

"You are young, misstakes are bound to happen, but if you learn from them they become life experiences which is a good thing. I hope I will provide better advice and career possibilities."

"I´m absolutely sure about that Heather, you came highly recommended and I think you will suit Maddie very good."

"I will listen more carefully and try to think like mom would do this time around."

"I can stay for three more weeks before I go back to Nashville, that gives us plenty of time to get to know each other. Juliette is taking some family time, so she don´t need me until then."

"Speaking of Juliette, how is she doing? I saw the interview before the Oscars, she had one hell of a year."

"Yeah, it has been a rough year for her. She hit rock bottom you could say. She is doing a lot better now."

"Good, glad to hear. I would like to invite both of you over for dinner to meet my husband David and a place where we can talk and maybe sing a bit in a more comfortable place. We don´t have a house or a apartment, we bought ourselves a bus and customized our own rolling home. As we are both musicians and no children, we can go where ever work takes us. Right now we have parked at a friends place just outside the city core. Here is the address." She wrote the address down on a piece of paper and gave to Glenn.

"We will be there."

"See you then tonight around six o´clock. I will stay here and talk to Caitlyn, hear what her plan are and go over your contract so I know what you actually signed up for."

"Nice to meet you Heather."

"You too Maddie."

"See you this evening."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Maddie and Glenn walked out from the room and headed to the entrance.

"See that wasen´t that bad was it?"

"No, she seemed nice."

"Yes she did. Are you hungry? Shall we grab some lunch?"

"Nah not really and if we are going to have dinner with them I better not eat anything now."

"How about something lighter? Ice cream perhaps?

"I think I could get a ice cream down." Maddie said with a smile.

"Ok, lets go."


	6. Chapter 6

Rayna stood in the kitchen and stirred in the fudge she was cooking. She was watching the girls and Deacon decorating the tree. They were up at the cabin to celebrate the christmas holiday. This was the second christmas together as a family. It looked like Deacon was the one who had the most fun of them. It feels like the girls are growing up faster now then before. Soon they are not gonna feel that special christmas spirit. The magical christmas feeling only a child can have, waiting on christmas day to open their presents. How you want to go to bed so early on christmas eve so when you wake up it´s christmas day. Spending all day eating sweets and looking at the wrapped presents under the tree and guess what´s inside them and who is getting what present without touching them. That´s the rule, no touching until it´s time to open them.

Looking at them now they still have the christmas spirit left it seems. They are laughing and smiling when they work side by side with Deacon, hanging all kind of things in the tree. Rayna locked eyes with Deacon and saw how genuine happy he was right about now. He was such a great dad and times like this she wished she got the courage to tell him earlier. To be honest she diden´t even tell him, he found out and she only confirmed it. She will never forget that day, how hurt and sad he was when she confirmed Maddie was his. Even if he have said he has forgiven her for it, it must linger deep down in him. It certainly does with her, she would do anything if it was possible to change in time. To let him be a father from the start. Seeing him like this she wondering if she should mention the thoughts she have been having lately. What it would be like to have another child with him, as she said the girls are growing up now and she too missed out on much while touring when they were little. It would be another dream coming true if they would have another child together and Deacon could be the dad from the beginning experiencing it all, he so deserves it. But aren´t they getting a little too old to handle a newborn and she is really pushing baby making years. It´s a lovely thought though. He still looks at her and she smiles and mouthing I love you if he can´t already read it in her eyes.

While locking eyes with her Deacon saw a lot of different feelings flashing by. First there was warmth and love, then she must have thought about something bad as ner whole face changed from happy to sad. Like someone pulled a black curtain over her eyes, then it vanished and her eyes got the warmth glow again and a little smile on her lips. When she looked at him again she was full on smiling and seeing her silent I love you, he walked up to her and put his arms around her waist and kissed her. She put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

"Hey. What´s up? You don´t like the way we decorate the tree? You looked like you diden´t approved there for a moment?"

"No, no. I was thinking about something else. It looks great, you all doing a very good job."

"How is that fudge coming along?"

"Oh I forgot, I must keep stirring so it don´t burn to the pot. You are distracting me, you go back to the girls so I can concentrate over here."

Deacon diden´t say anything but smiled and gave her one last long lingering kiss before returning to the girls.

* * *

After the girls had gone to bed Rayna stood at the counter wrapping the last presents. It´s hard to buy gifts for a man that says he don´t want anything, hardly use anything else then guitars, don´t wear expensive clothes. Of course she could buy him another guitar, but they already have the house full of them and there is almost no room for more. So she ended up getting him a custom made guitar strap. With all their names on it, hers, Maddie´s, Daphne´s and Deacon´s, in various heart formation design. At the top it was written 'No one will ever love you like I do', 'A love like ours', 'Forever together' some of the songs they wrote together. It diden´t cost much but it was a personal gift. She heard the sliding doors open. Damn, he was fast. He said he was going to take a look outside and get some more firewood, so she thought she had time to wrap his present before he was done. She heard him stir around by the fireplace.

"Ray, have you seen..."

"Deacon, stay where you are. I´m not done wrapping your present yet." She hurried to wrap it and put it in the bag with the others. "Ok, you can come now. Sorry, what was it you were going to say?"

Deacon took a few steps closer to her. "Have you seen my green bag I brought?"

"Yeah, I put it in the small storeroom at the back. You said it diden´t contained any clothes or important things."

"Did you opened it?"

"No."

"Good. I kind of lied a bit for you."

"Oh."

"It do in fact contain something important. My gift for you."

"Then maybe I should have looked."

"Then it wouldn´t be a surprise when you open it."

"You know I don´t like surprises. I like to have control."

"That you do. But I think you are gonna like this surprise."

"I love everything you give me."

"Mmm how about this." Deacon moved to her and put his arms around her waist and kissed her.

"Mmm love it." She rested her head on his shoulder and they stood there for a while hugging, enjoying the closeness.

Deacon smiled thinking on what he got her. One good thing that beeing out on Luke´s tour was he got to know Joe, one of the band members. Joe told him once that his sister Melissa is a jeweller and showed Deacon the ring Joe had her made for his fiancée. It was beautiful and unique, as it was Melissas´s own design. Deacon got to think of them a couple of months ago when he was wondering what to get Rayna for christmas. He got in touch with Melissa and with little help from her he designed his own jewelry for Rayna. Melissa then made it come alive and it was a stunning piece of work. Beautiful and unique just as his beautiful wife. It was a necklace made in gold with ruby hearts and light purple amethyst stones. All her favourites in one jewelry, a perfect gift for Rayna. He got startled in his thoughts when she broke their embrace.

"Will you help me wrap up the last presents?"

"Sure."

They took the few steps back to the table and started wrapping.

* * *

Christmas eve morning came and they woke up to a snow covered cabin. The girls were so excited, they had never been to the cabin in the winter, never seen it in it´s winter shroud. It was a long time ago since Rayna seen the cabin with snow too. Breakfast were fast executed by the girls, they couldn´t hardly wait to get outside. Deacon and Rayna took their time and diden´t rush their breakfast. The girls rushed past them all dressed up in warm clothes and went outside. Rayna smiled while she was watching them through the windows.

"It´s hard to believe Maddie is seventeen by looking at her right now. You would think they are the same age, judging by how much fun they are having."

"Yes it´s nice to see she still can play with her sister and enjoy it."

"I have forgotten how beautifully it is up here with the snow. I´m so happy you kept the cabin so we have this opportunity to have a place to retreat to when we want to get away. It´s such a wonderful place, breathtaking views both summer and winter."

"That it is. I could never sell this place."

"Why not? I have sometimes wondered why you kept it?"

"I bought it for you. You wanted a house by a lake and this was the best I could find, at least the best I could afford at that time and just barely. I know we weren´t to live here forever but that we could use it like we do now. When we wanted to get away from the city, holidays, in the summer etc."

"Yes I know you bought it for me, even more reason to sell it when we weren´t together anymore. I have so many memories from here, you must also have. Diden´t those memories haunt you, become to much when we were apart?"

"Sometimes it did but most time I draw strength from them. I have loved you all my life and will do until I draw my last breath. What we had then and have now is more then some people ever get to experience. All these memories from here are ours and no one will take them away from me. I treasure them all. This is our place, yours and mine. I have never taken any other woman up here. Now when I know we made Maddie here, it´s even more precious to me. I never gave up hope that one day we would live here again, that´s why I couldn´t ever sell it."

"I know what that´s like, treasure the memories. I tried so hard to suppress any thoughts about us but when it overwhelmed me I went to the music room. As you know I have all our platinum albums on the walls, our records and cma awards in there. Teddy diden´t like it that I displayed our life together but I diden´t care. It was our music history, my career and I´m proud of all of it. Teddy did rarely visit that room after our last fight about it. So I could go there and remember without beeing disturbed."

"You should be proud, you did good, really good."

"We did good Deacon, don´t start that again. I´m so looking forward to do this album, going into the studio with you again, our own studio mind you. What we have written so far is promising."

"Yeah, I´m pretty excited to do this album too. Writing with you is always rewarding in more ways then one. These songs we have so far is indeed promising."

"Maybe we should start getting us ready for the day. Since the girls are still outside playing, how about you join me in the shower?"

Deacon´s eyes lit up. Rayna extended her hand and Deacon took it and they walked out of the kitchen.

* * *

The clouds had lighten up and the sun was shining when Rayna and Deacon finally left the cabin. They took a long walk in the beautiful snowy surroundings. When they got back they all gathered by the fire with hot chocolate with whipped cream and sandwiches. After they had eaten Rayna suggested a little competition, that they should write their own christmas song. They split up in two teams, Rayna and Maddie in one and Deacon and Daphne in the other. The time limit was all afternoon until dinner times and after dinner it was showtime. Rayna and Maddie draw back to one of the bedrooms, while Deacon and Daphne stayed put in the living room. From both camps you could hear guitar playing, laughter and corny rhymes. When they played their songs there was no surpeise they couldn´t decide who had the best song, they of course voted for their own team. With no third party to cast a vote it decided to be a draw. They continued the evening with singing the old common christmas carols.

When Rayna and Deacon came out of their bedroom on christmas day morning, the girls had been up for a while. They had already opened their stockings which contained small gifts and candy. Now they were almost done with breakfast they thought surprise their parents with. After breakfast was done Daphne realized that they forgot to bake gingerbread cookies. They spent the morning baking, since Deacon diden´t have any cookie molds they had to carve out their figures by hand. I was superb weather that day too so after they where done and cleaned up after the baking they took another long walk in the snow. Once back Rayna and Deacon started with preparation for the christmas dinner while the girls stayed outside. After they were done with all they could do before the actually cooking part, Rayna collapsed down on the couch.

"I´m getting old I think, a little baking, a walk and now chopping stuff up and I´m exhausted."

"Is it that bad?" Deacon sat down beside her and took her in his arms. "Come here, let me hold you." Deacon gave her lazy kisses until he noticed she stopped kissing him back, she had fallen asleep. He smiled and gave her one last kiss and then closed his own eyes.

* * *

That was the way the girls found them when they came inside. Fast asleep in each others arms. After changing clothes Daphne returned to the living room and set down in a armchair and looked at them and the christmas tree and the presents under it. This was the first christmas she bought gifts, until now she only had received gifts. She had given crafted things she had done in school and drawings of course before but this was the first real gifts. She was wondering what they would think about her gifts.

Maddie was getting a bag, not a surprise gift as Maddie herself had picked it out while they were out shopping for their mom. As Daphne haden´t come up with anything else so far, she said she could buy it as a christmas gift. It was in her price range so it was perfect. For their mom Maddie bought a dress and Daphne bought a matching scarf. For Deacon she had no clue what to buy. Her mom has said she always had problem knowing what to give him in the past. When Deacon moved in with them her mom removed all pictures with her dad and them together, all family pictures of the four of them and asked her if she wanted some of them in her room. She understood why her mom did that, so Deacon diden´t have to be sad when he had to look at them and feel like he diden´t belong with them. But that left them with not much pictures left, just a few with her and Maddie.

So she did ask Bucky if he had ever taking any photos of them together when they were younger, while they were visiting on tours or in the studio. Bucky had a few and he said he would check with the band members. One of the guys remembered a drummer that pnly was with them two years was into photography. Bucky managed to track him down and got a bunch of photos. She put them in a album and framed her two favourite ones.

One was with Deacon laying on his back on a blanket on the grass. He was holding her in the air with straight arms and Maddie was sitting next to them clapping hands. She was maybe one year or younger and Maddie around five years. They were all smiling. The other one was of all four of them. Her mom sat on a stage with her standing infront of her reaching for Deacon who stood beside them holding Maddie on his hip. She would guess their ages to be three and seven maybe. It was hard to choose but they could pick out more ones to frame later on. It wasen´t much but she really hoped he would like it. Maddie called from the bedroom area so she got up and left the room.

Deacon woke up from his little slumber and for a sec diden´t know where he was. He was delighted to find Rayna in his arms and set out to wake her with kisses.

"Mom, Dad, isen´t it time to start dinner soon or we will never open our presents?"

Rayna stirred a little before opened her eyes. "Hmm hey there handsome. Did you say something?"

"No, that was our girls. They are eager to open their presents, but they are right. We should start dinner, it´s dark outside already."

"Is it? Did we sleep all afternoon?

"Seems like it, it wouldn´t be that strange. I did keep you up almost all the night."

"Mmm it was a wonderful night."

"Every night with you are wonderful Ray."

"Mom, Dad!"

"Yeah, yeah we are coming." They rose from the couch and walked to the kitchen.

* * *

"Open this first Mom." Daphne said and gave her a smaller box and then that one. They go together.

"Ok." Rayna opened it and took up the scarf. It was in a shimmering purple colour. "It´s beautiful." She opened the bigger one and revealed a dress in the same colour. "Oh it´s so gorgeous and they are matching perfectly."

"Yeah we bought them together me and Maddie."

"They are indeed beautiful, great minds thinks alike. It´s almost as I asked them."

"What do you mean Deacon?"

"You will see."

"Thanks girls, it´s a lovely gift."

"Your turn Deacon, this is from me." Daphne handed him a present.

Deacon opened it and was stunned by what he saw. All those pictures of them together, he diden´t think it existed any and now he had a whole album of them. "This is amazing. Where did you get these? Did you take them Ray?"

"No, I haven´t seem them either. Where did you get these Daphne?"

"I asked Bucky if he had any pictures of us and he asked around the band too. Bucky brought those back."

"I don´t remember when those were taken, do you?"

"I remember the event not that specific moment no. I must have been on a summer picnic that Edgehill arranged. We all brought our families. I went to at least two of them without Teddy."

"Do you like them?"

"I love them sweetie. I couldn´t wish for a better present. Thank you so much. Come here." Deacon took her in his arms and gave her a big hug.

"Now open this Deacon, it´s from mom."

"It´s not much. You are a hard man to buy presents for Deacon."

"I will like whatever it is, because it´s from you." Deacon opened it and when he saw the guitar strap with the song titels on it, his eys lit up and he got a extra warm smile on. Rayna who knows him better then anyone else saw that it was something special with that smile. She raised her eyebrows in a silent question, which he saw and understood also.

"You will see. I love it Ray, it´s unique. No one will have the same. Last present is for you Ray, this is my gift for you."

Rayna opened it very slowly and when the paper was gone it revealed a black square box. she opeend oh so careful and then gasped and one hand went to her mouth. "Deacon! It´s beautiful, it´s so beautiful."

"Read the inscription on the back."

"No one will ever love you like I do, love Deacon." Rayna felt tears building up.

"See great minds thinks alike. It will match the dress the girls gave you and you and me used the same words."

"Where did you get this? This looks not like any other jewelry I have ever seen."

"It´s special, very special indeed. I have designed it myself, I got a little help from the jeweller who made it but the bigger part is from me."

"What? How? Who? I can´t believe this. You have made this for me?"

"Yes for you, I wanted to give you something unique. So I took the kind of stones you like, the colours and draw a sketch up. The inscription word was the first I came up with, so that was easy. For the who part, it is made by a woman called Melissa. Who I got in contact through her brother Joe who I met when I was in Luke´s band and we got talking and one day he showed me a picture of the ring he had given to his fiancée. He was so proud that his sister had made it and there was no one else caring the same ring as she did. I don´t know how we did get into that subject but I´m happy we did as now I could give you one of a kind jewelry."

"I say. I can´t stop looking at it. It´s ... I´m lost for words."

"It´s really beautiful Dad. You did good and as you said it will match the dress we bought perfectly."

"I´m glad you like it, I was a bit nervous."

"Like it, are you kidding? I love it, I told you alredy that I love everything you give me. This is of the scale. I still can´t believe you made it, it´s so beautiful." Those tears started to fall, happy tears. Rayna moved over the floor and kissed him, put her arms around his neck. The kiss deepened as it usually does when their lips meet and one kiss became two, three until she heard Maddie´s voice.

"We are still here Mom. I think Daphne is a bit young to see what comes after kisses like that."

Rayna had completely forgotten they were still in the living room and the girls presence. She blushed a bit but did not move from Deacon´s lap. "Thank you babe for this wonderful gift and you girls for that equal wonderful dress."

"Thanks Mom and Dad for all presents. This is one of the best christmases ever."

"Are we all happy?"

"Yes." Said three voices in chorus.

"Good." Rayna said smiling and took up the photo album Deacon got and leaned back in Deacon´s arms and started viewing it with him.


	7. Chapter 7

"If I diden´t know better I would say that it almost looks naturally, you working in a office. Daddy would have been proud that you finally got a proper job, sitting behind a desk, wearing a suit and decide important things and have other people do what you tell them to do."

"Tandy! What are you doing here? I thought you were coming tomorrow?"

"Change of plans. The airline called and asked if I could make it today instead. They had to cancel my flight tomorrow and now have to reschedule all passengers. I diden´t have anything planned for this evening so I took the offer and here I am."

"You should have called then I would have come to pick you up at the airport."

"I diden´t want you to drop anything you was doing for just come pick me up. I know how to grab a taxi."

"Anyway, nice to see you Tandy. It´s too far between when we do."

"I know. That´s why I took a whole week off instead of just come to the party."

"That´s good. Are you hungry? Shall we grab some lunch?"

"Sure, you can show me the studio first I heard so much about. It´s up and running now I taken?

They continued talking while walking towards the studio.

"Yes about two month now. I think it´s one of my best idea in a long time, it was expensive but worth every penny. It have saved us so much money and time, and it´s beautiful done."

"Have you christened it yet? You and Deacon I mean."

"Sssh, keep your voice down. Everybody don´t need to hear it."

"If they don´t know by now they haven´t worked here long enough. Well have you? Or have you beeing married actually slowed you down?

Rayna looked around to see if there was anyone close. "Yes we have if you must know."

"I thought so. How many songs have you guys recorded?"

"Four."

"And how many times have you had sex in there?"

"Tandy!"

"How many times Rayna?"

"Four ok. We have had sex every time we have been recording ok." Rayna said a bit irritated for immediately change and have a almost ashamed smile on. "I don´t know what happens to me then, I close out everything else then Deacon. His voice, his touch, the music and when we are done I just want to rip his clothes off and have sex there and then. It feels like it did when we were in our twenties, when all that matters was music and love and we couldn´t get enough of each other."

"You still can´t keep your hands off each other I would say, judging by what I just heard and what I know."

"What can I say, I love him Tandy."

"I know you do. Even if I tease you a bit for it, I´m happy for you. That kind of love you two have is unique. My marriage diden´t last or the love for that matter. I only know two couple other then you two that have loved each other for a long time. Coleman and Audrey and our uncle Randy and his wife Rose. They were married for over sixty years but I doubt they had as passionate sexlife as you do in their older ages."

"Tandy! They were our relatives."

"Yes I know. I don´t picture them had any wild sex after the first then years of marriage, but they loved each other to the end. But you two I´m gonna guess are still going at it even in your eightys."

"You really should stop thinking about our sexlife Tandy."

"I probably should, but I´m not gonna do that."

"Sigh. Here is the studio. What do you think?"

"Wow. It looks increadible. I haven´t been in too many studios but this looks great. I love the colours. It has a feeling of professional and at the same time cosy home feeling. I can see why you stay here when the others leave."

"We got caught last week. Not as bad as the time I told you about when we were younger. Now we only had started. I just got Deacon´s shirt off and he had unbutton my blouse and his hands was about to unhook my bra, and we were kissing."

"What! You did? By whom?"

"By our new engineer. He is a wonderful character, you will meet him in a day or two when he comes for dinner."

"What did he say?"

"He diden´t even raise a eyebrow. He said he forgot his bag and just went in and collected it and then walked out again. When he was at the door he turned around and said, 'If I would write a list of all things I have seen in my days, this isen´t making top fifty even. Have a good evening.' Then he walked out and shut the door behind him."

"What did you do after he left or let me guess, you continued?"

"Erhm yes we did. Even if I was embarrassed to be caught again and specially at our age but that disappeared as soon as Deacon started kissing me again. As I said, Deacon, music and recording does something with me that I can´t control."

"Then I would agree it was a very good idea to get a own studio. Me and the girls wouldn´t want to see you two making the headlines with some juicy pictures."

"God forbid, I don´t want to see that too."

"How about that lunch, now that I have seen your little love nest?"

"Tandy! You are shamless. Sometimes I wonder why I even tell you things."

"Because I´m your sister, you have to take the bad with the good stuff. That´s what we do as big sisters."

"Lets go and get some lunch, maybe some food will shut you up for a while." Rayna said with a smile.

"You could hope for that couldn´t you?" Tandy said with a even bigger smile.

* * *

Tandy sat on the couch working on her laptop when Deacon and Daphne came home.

"I will just go and change then we can go over... Aunt Tandy!" Daphne dropped her backpack on the floor and ran to her. She throwed herself at Tandy and hugged her.

"Hey sweetheart."

"I have missed you."

"Me too, it has been too long since we saw each other. I will compensate a bit for that by staying the whole week."

"Yes it will be fun having you here with us."

Deacon picked up the backpack and slowly walked towards them.

"Daphne, why don´t you go and change out of uniform and then come back so we can entertain our guest."

"Guest? It´s aunt Tandy, she been here thousands of time. I thougth we would play, we usually do after school. I need to practise before Saturday."

"Yes I know, but just because Tandy is family doesn´t mean she isen´t our guest and should be treated like one. We can´t go about our stuff and leave her all alone. We can play later this evening when your mama have come home. I promise I won´t forget."

"Ok sounds fair. I will be right back." Daphne rose from the couch and walked to the stairs and took her backpack from Deacon on the way.

"Hey Deacon."

"Hey. We were expecting you tomorrow."

"Yeah, change of plans. I hope it´s ok?"

"Yes it´s just fine. We diden´t have any plans. You should have called and I would have come and picked you up."

"That was what Rayna said. It was no problem to take a taxi. Diden´t Rayna call and tell you that I have arrived early? She said she would."

"No I haven´t heard anything." He took up his phone to look at it. "One missed call from Rayna. Strange, I haven´t heard it ringing."

"Ah well, here I am. I went to the office first and we had some lunch, then I went here so she could work without me distracting her. Rayna showed me the studio you guys built."

"Yeah? What did you think about it?"

"As I told Rayna I haven´t been in many studios but to me it looks great. She told me that you two got caught last week in there."

"Yes we were. Thankfully it wasen´t as bad like those other times we been caught. We had barely started this time."

"Other times? You mean there have been more then one time before this time?"

"More then I can count. We get carried away sometimes."

"Sometimes? You can hardly keep your hands off each other at any time, then or now I would say. I caught you kissing at daddy´s house even. How bad has it been?"

"Well mid act is pretty bad, the worst will remain our secret."

"Nooo, did you really?"

"Yes, I´m afraid so. Luckily for us that it was before Rayna made a name for herself, so nobody know who we were."

"I have wondered many times how on earth you guys managed to stay away from each other during her marriage. You and me both know and Rayna too, if you really wanted it you could seduced her any time during all those years. If you just said what the hell and started kissing her breathless she would not had put up a fight. She may had regreted the cheating part the next day but never making love to you. I give you that, that you respected her marriage."

"We never crossed the line. Rayna diden´t cheat on Teddy. I love her, always have. I wouldn´t do that to her."

"I know you love her. That´s one thing I never did doubt you on, your love for Rayna. But sometimes love isen´t enough is it? Your drinking got in the way. I must admit that I was a bit naive when it´s came to alcoholism back then. I thought if you just wanted to stop you just do it. Daddy was drinking all his life and he never had any problems. If it was that easy you would had stopped drinking long ago, but alcoholism don´t work that way now does it?"

"No, if it was I would have stopped at the first 'Please don´t drink so much Deacon' or at least at the first round of rehab. Then I knew I had a problem when Rayna begged me to go to rehab because she diden´t like to see me drunk anymore."

"There should be some support system that offers help to those that are close to the person who is close to the alcoholic, so we can help supporting. Back then I was in cohorts with daddy and thought and agreed with almost anything he did. He diden´t think you were good enough for Rayna and therefore so did I. I should have listen more to Rayna and given you a chance. Get to know you better. I´m sorry for my part back then."

"I´m sorry for all the trouble I caused Rayna. All I want is for her to be happy. We got past all of that now. One good thing that came out from Maddie´s emancipation was that we had those therapy sessions with Dr Voris. We talked and vented everything out, all of it. Some things we did never talk about in the past and now we did. It did us good, really good."

"Rayna told me that the therapy relly helped. I´m really glad you two worked it out."

"Me too. I nearly lost her for the third time. I don´t know what I would do without her."

They heard footsteps bouncing down the stairs announceing Daphne was returning. It put a end to that conversation. Daphne sat down beside Tandy and she put a arm around Daphne´s shoulders.

"So how was school?"

"It was fine. It rarely happens any exciting things there. The best with Mondays is to meet my friends. I´m so happy you are here aunt Tandy, are you looking forward to mom´s party?"

"Yes, it´s been a while since I been to a music party with Rayna. How about you Daphne?"

"Yes very much. This is going to be a exciting week, so much is going to happen. I get to spend time with you, Maddie is coming home, I´m gonna record my first song and I´m going to sing at the party."

"Wow, that´s a lot."

"Yeah I know. It will be awesome. I can´t wait. That´s why I need to practise."

Tandy looked at Deacon. "I don´t mind you guys playing, I can just sit here and listen. I have a couple of work mail that needs my attention anyway."

"Are you sure Tandy? We can go into the music room."

"Yes, it´s no bother. If you don´t need to be in there I would love to listen."

"Ok then. Daphne, will you go and fetch the guitars?"

"Sure thing Dad." Daphne rushed to the music room.

"Dad?"

"She calls me that sometimes."

"Oh, how does that feel to hear?"

"It´s a incredible feeling, it warmth my heart, the best feeling ever. It makes me proud that she thinks of me like that, let me be her dad when Teddy can´t at the moment."

Daphne returned and they started their lesson. While Tandy was listening to them she saw that he had a special warm glow in his eyes while helping Daphne with her chords. His darker voice and hers lighter was in perfect harmony. She had heard her niece sing many times before of course and even to her untrained ears, that she had improved a great deal. And that Deacon had something to do with that was something she would bet her money on. She smiled and took up her laptop and got back to those mails.

* * *

"Do you have time to go through the time schedule again Ray?"

"Sure Bucky."

"Lets start from the top, shall we? Catering and serving staff?"

"Talked to them this morning, they reassured me they are on top of things."

"Good. Music? I spoke with Deacon and the house band yesterday and he said they were as ready as they ever will be."

"Yes he has worked hard and are pleased with the results. As how long the timetable on the singing will last is to be seen, but for now we can at least pretend we have control over it."

"Decorating?"

"Tandy arrived today instead of tomorrow and will meet with them and supervise the decorating team."

"Yes I know, we said hi this morning. Welcome hosts and parking? That will our own personnel take care of."

"Is there anything we have missed?"

"Not that I can think of now, but is always something. So we are good?"

"Yes, thanks Buck. By they way did you call Avery again and have he changed his decision?" She could see him shudder a little and could hear a muffled dammit. "Buck?"

"I hoped we could have had this conversation after your big night Ray. You will probably get angry with me."

"Just tell me Buck."

"Sigh! Ok I have been withholding some information for you. I know why Avery don´t want to come here and that has to do with Layla. Avery and Layla was dating, or a couple or whatever they were, they slept together. And it was some sort of revenge, get back at Juliette from Layla´s side because she thought Juliette was responsible for Jeff´s death. Glenn found out what Layla had done and dropped her as a client, Avery stopped whatever they were to each other and don´t want anything to do with her anymore, not even risk to see her if he comes here to produce for Sadie. Glenn called me and told me all of this and suggested that layla could use professional help. So I talked to Layla and heared her side but it was like Glenn said without the reveng and the bad stuff she said about Juliette. I took her to a therapist the same day and continued to drive her three times a week there. One day the therapist called and said Layla was doing better but would suggest a month long therapy at a resort away from Nashville. I arranged it with the therapist and drove Layla there. I know Layla had appearances to make and interviews but as her songs was already released I worked around that and kept it out of the press and you."

"Why? Why diden´t you tell me? I should have known about this."

"You had your own private hell to deal with. All this happened at the same time as Maddie´s emancipation and at first I diden´t want to bother you with it, you had enough to deal with as it was. Then when it got worse between you and Deacon, you needed to focus all your energy to save your marriage. I know you Ray, you put everyone else before yourself, and if you would have known that one of your artist needed help you would be there. I know you promised that to every artist you have. It is a admire quality of yours but I need you to take care of yourself too. I apologize if I overstepped my responsibilities and your boundaries but I´m not sorry for putting your happiness before everything else. Your happiness means everything to me Ray, to all of us here. Highway 65 wouldn´t be here without you. We need you here and what you need is Deacon and your girls. So you needed to work on that and get your happiness back."

"Oh Bucky. You know me so well, I do tend to put others before me, I probably would had been there to help both Layla and Juliette if I would have known, when I really should been focusing on Deacon and Maddie which I now did thanks to you. What would I do without you? You know you means more then just my manager to me? You have done so much for me, for my career and to Highway 65. Deacon and I talked about it before that I really should give you a pay raise and I forgot it but now is it time. Be prepared for a high bonus."

"Ray, it´s not necessary. I´m just doing my job and should not be rewarded for not telling you things."

"I forgive you for that, you was just looking after me. Not saying I don´t like it but understand why. I will have a talk with Layla after the party but I´m going to give you more money. End of story. What are we going to do about Sadie then? She is back in town now and are ready to finish her album, preferably with Avery."

"I have a idea about that, maybe if we together with Sadie had a little meeting with Avery. They don´t have to be here, record here. We can still rent a studio elsewhere, it don´t even have to be in Nashville. The important thing is that the album gets done, the world deserves to hear it and Sadie needs to be heard."

"Amen to that. She is so talented. That´s a great idea, lets do that. You should have told me but thanks for not telling me Bucky. I think it would have taken more time for Deacon and me to get back to each other if I would had other things occuping my mind. Thank you for looking after me. Come here and let me hug you."

"Anytime. Anything for you Ray."

* * *

Rayna and Tandy was sitting in the living room.

"I´m sorry for not be able to offer you any wine Tandy, or any other alcohol for that matter." Rayna said and reffered to the two glasses of iced tea she just put on the table. "I don´t keep any in the house anymore."

"Why not? Because of Deacon?"

"Yes and no. Not because I´m afraid he will relapse at the sight of alcohol, but I don´t drink that much anymore. When he moved in with me here, he said he diden´t mind if I drank wine to dinner or took a whiskey in the evenings. At first I did but it felt more and more wrong to drink when he can´t, to flaunt and enjoy the one thing he must avoid for the rest of his life. And when I had been drinking I was so meticulous with drinking loads of water or even brush my teeth so he wouldn´t taste any alcohol when we kissed, not even a trace of it. Second thing is that I can´t drink a whole wine bottle on my own anymore without being totally destroyed the day after. I tried saving a open bottle for another day but it don´t taste the same so now I just buy when we have guests over and I forgot to buy on my way home today."

"It´s fine Rayna. I think I will survive one day without any wine, it will be hard but I will live." Tandy said with a smile and took a sip of the iced tea. "So tell me about this engineer that runs the studio. Where did you found him?"

"His name is Travis Mackenzie and actually Deacon met him at one of his AA meetings. He is alcoholic too and they started talking. I´m so thankful that he had to switch meetings because Deacon said he haden´t seen him there before. He is close to seventy I would guess, quite good-looking, funny and full on charms. If Deacon´s father had been a good person and in the music business, he would been exactly like Travis I can imagine. He has played with almost every country artists that has ever stepped a foot in Nashville in one way or another. Played guitar, bassist, drums, singing, producing, being a roadie you name it, he has done it all. He can tell these amazing stories of all the artists he been on the road with, these legends in country music me and Deacon look up to."

"Oh yeah? He sounds like a thrill."

"He is a incredible person. You will see for yourself, he comes for dinner on Wednesday. You will love him, we all do even Daphne. She only knows a handfull of the names of artists he tells us about, me and Deacon knows half of the names and then there are still a bunch we never even heard about. But we all sit and listen to his stories with equal big smiles on. He is a great story teller. He has been over for dinner quite many times on the short time we have known him."

"Sounds like fun."

"It will be. Work wise he knows a lot about music, a little less about all these technical stuff but he works with his grandchildren Scott and Sarah. They are twins. So we actually have three new people, they help each other out. They teach him about all these new technology there is in this business today and he teach them about music history, using real instruments, how just a change of chords makes a entire difference. It´s nice to see that, two different generations can work together. That´s exactly what I had in mind when I started Highway 65. That I could with all my knowledge and experience help the next generation of stars to shine. Have a nice and safe place for them to start their own music history."

"That´s beautiful said Rayna. You are good on your way, you have quite the roster already. I heard Daphne and Deacon sing earlier today, she sings like a angel."

"Yeah she does, doesn´t she? Did I tell you I convinced Deacon to sign with me and do a album of his own beside the one he is doing with me?"

"No you diden´t."

"So with all the artists I already have and add both Deacon and Daphne, it´s going to be a great and exciting year for Highway 65."

"You mean you and Deacon will spend a lot of time in the studio pretending to work, when you actually have sex."

"Here we go again. We work."

"Sure you do."

"Shut up and tell me what´s going on in your life."

Tandy smiled and drank her iced tea.


	8. Chapter 8

Maddie and Daphne are having some facetime.

"When are you coming home Maddie? Aunt Tandy came for two days ago."

"We will be there early on Friday."

"We?"

"Yeah, I´m bringing Heather and David. Mom said it was time for them to meet and not just talk over the phone. You will finally see this bus of theirs that I talked so much about. It´s awesome, it´s compact but it has everything you need and they can go where ever they want to go."

"Cool, and you will meet Travis. He is so funny and can tell these amazing stories about all those country artists he has been on the road with. I have not even heard half of them. They are even better when he and Deacon talks alone and don´t know that I´m listen to them. He has been around for dinner a lot. It´s like I got a bonus grandpa. He is the best."

"Yeah, it will be fun to meet him, mom and dad talks so much about him too and the twins."

"They are cool too, dad says they know what they are doing."

"Dad?"

"I have been calling Deacon dad a lot recently. I hope you don´t mind?"

"No I don´t mind. I bet he loves it. He is both our father just as he was our uncle."

"I recorded my first song today."

"You did? How was it? What song, have I heard it?"

"It was scary to be all by myself, but mom and Deacon was there. Don´t think you heard it yet, it´s called 'Sunshine Is All Around Me'. I wrote it with mom. I´m going to sing it at the party also."

"Then I´m looking forward even more to the party."

"Are you done with you album yet Maddie? Last time you said it was almost done."

"Yes, I´m done recording and now just some touch ups left. There was something that Heather said diden´t was to her liking. We will do that after this weekend and then I will have my release party in a month. It will be exciting and scary at the same time. I will have a album that allowes people to hear my music but that also means people will judge and comment it and me."

"But how can anyone not like your singing, it´s beautiful?"

"Believe me there is a lot of different opinions out there on everything. Just because we think one thing doesn´t mean everyone else will. I got some not very nice comments about the song 'Wild Card'. Think this is one of the things mom diden´t want us to see and hear."

"Then you don´t listen to them, I think you are the best, mom and dad does too."

"You are the best sister a girl can have."

"Right back at you." Daphne turned her head for a sec. "That was the doorbell, Travis is here. Got to go, don´t want to miss a second. Love you. Cya soon, can´t wait for you to be here. Bye."

"Bye." Maddie was smiling when she closed her laptop down.

* * *

Deacon went to answer the door.

"Hi Travis. Welcome."

"Hey, thanks." They shook hands and walked into the living room where Rayna and Tandy was sitting.

"Hello ladies. Rayna beautiful as always."

"Hey Travis. Nice to see you. Welcome. This is my sister Tandy Hampton. Tandy, this is Travis Mackenzie."

"How do you do?"

"Nice to meet you Tandy. I see that beauty runs in the family, from the little one to the older ones. It´s a shame that Virgina died so young, if she still was with us I bet she would be a stunning woman. Beauty like that never fades."

"You knew our mother?"

"You knew our mother?" Rayna echoed Tandy´s words. "You never told me that before."

"You diden´t ask and I can´t tell all my good stories at one time. Maybe I was saving it for the right time."

"Travis!" Daphne yelled from the stairs and bounced down fast. Travis turned around and opened his arms.

"There she is, my little sunshine." Daphne gave him a fast hug then sat down besides Tandy.

"Sit please and do tell us about our mother. I want to know everything, she died when I was so young."

"I´m afraid I don´t have that much to tell. I diden´t know her, just of her. Virgina had a beautiful voice, I heard her sing at a bar one day. I jumped in and played guitar for her three weeks later when one of her guys was sick but we diden´t exchange more then hellos. I would have asked her out if I diden´t see the ring she was wearing."

"And that stopped you? I diden´t think a little thing like a ring could change your mind? After all we heard so far?"

"Well I have done a lot and may be a lot of things but not courting married or engaged women is one of them, but any other woman is fair game."

"That´s sounds better from the scoundrel we all know you are."

"Will you excuse me Travis, I will go and check on dinner." Rayna said and rose from the couch.

"Sure. Was it fun today Daphne? In the studio recording?"

"Yes it was the best, a little frighten at first but everyone was so nice to me. Having mom and Deacon there made me feel safe and not so nervous."

"Deacon, will you come and help me please?"

"Sure thing Ray." Deacon went over to the kitchen.

"You did good Daphne, that was a great song."

"Yes I agree, it was a beautiful song sweetheart."

"Thanks, I really like it myself."

"Daphne, will you help Deacon set the table please?"

"Coming Mom." Daphne rose from the couch and walked into the kitchen.

"So Travis, Rayna told me that you caught them kissing at the studio but it was nothing to the other things you have seen. What´s the worst you have witnessed?"

"If I had come ten minutes later I would had seen much more, now they were just making out and they are actually married so not that scandalous. The worst must be the time I diden´t knock and just opened the door to a dressing room at the Opry. Inside were three women and two men, all naked and engaged in different position you could say. I will not give you their names but I can say they were the two groups that were the performing artists that evening. Why they never locked the door is beyond me to this day. It could have been pretty juicy headlines in the paper, but it seems that I was the only one to walk into that room and I have kept my mouth shut. After that day I learned to knock if I wasen´t in the mood to surprise or see things."

"Did you joined them?" Tandy said with a cheeky smile.

"They actually asked me if I wanted to."

"Nooo they diden´t?"

"Yes, I was pretty speechless, don´t know what I answered but I declined somehow and got out of there."

"Dinner is ready, come and eat."

Dinner was over and Tandy and Travis had returned to the living room and continued to talk to each other. Daphne was helping Deacon and Rayna clean up. Tandy had watched them these days now and had noticed how much they interacted with each other, acting like a family. Sure they are family but they have just been living together for soon two years. Seeing them you could never guess it was that short time, it looked like they had done it all their life. Deacon and Rayna couldn´t keep their hands off each other as usual, they were touching every time they passed each other and kissing. Even Daphne got some hugs and kisses in between and they were only in the kitchen twenty minutes more then her and Travis. Seeing how loving Deacon is towards Rayna and Daphne, she really regreated talking Rayna out of telling Deacon she was pregnant. He was such a great father and she had to live with that she was a part of denying him all those memories he should have had with Maddie. Beeing her dad. Tandy had to control herself to not start crying and plastered a smile on and turned her attention back to Travis.

* * *

Rayna woke up by Deacon´s soft touch on her arm. He was drawing circle shape patterns on her bare arm that was out of the covers and followed up with light kisses on her shoulder when she began to stir.

"Mmmh morning babe."

"Good morning baby. Did you sleep well?"

"With you beside me and holding me, always. This is going to be a great day. Maddie is finally coming home again, we haven´t seen here since christmas. This is the longest we have been apart."

"Yes I know. I miss her too."

"Even when I was on tour far away from Nashville, I saw my girls regular, either I came home for a few days or they came to me. We will meet Heather and David, not just talk to them over the phone. Then we will have Scarlett and Gunnar over for dinner. Do you know that´s going to be our first family dinner all together from both our sides?"

"Is it? You are right, it´s the first time. Why haven´t we done that before?"

"Don´t ask me. I have no idea. We all have been busy. Is it time to get up? Or do we have time to make love?" Rayna began caressing his stubble chin, she loved doing that.

"There is always time to make love." Deacon leaned forward and kissed her and pressed her closer to his naked body with his strong arms.

* * *

"There she is, my little girl, the lost daughter returns. It has been so long that I almost forgot how you look like." Rayna said happily while walking with open arms towards Maddie.

"Mom!" Maddie rolled her eyes at her mom but kept smiling and hugged Rayna with equal joy as she did. "You are right, it has been a long time now."

"Of course I´m right, I´m your mother and we all know mother´s knows best."

"Ha! I mean love you Mom."

"You better."

Deacon stood back with Tandy and watched first Rayna and Maddie hugged and then when Maddie hugged her sister. He was so thankful that they had got past all those horrible events last summer and they could be together as a family without any dark thoughts again. He joined them and took their daughter in his arms.

"Mom Dad, this is Heather and David Black." Maddie gesture to them as they stood there beside her.

"Miss Jaymes, it´s a honour to meet you and your husband."

"Sir, it´s really a honour. I have admire you for a long time." They all shook hands.

"Very nice to meet you two. I have been looking forward to it for a while now, but lose the sir and mam. We are not that kind of people."

"Yeah, just call me Deacon. Welcome to our house."

"And this is my sister Daphne and over there is my aunt Tandy."

"Hi."

"How do you do."

"Heather, can I show Daphne the bus?

"Yes of course. You are all invited to come and look inside." Maddie and Daphne went ahead and then they all went inside.

"It´s all custom-made. We have a bigger living room space, bigger bathroom, seperate shower, our recording equipment where the bunks use to be, a kitchen and finally a bigger master bedroom."

"Wow this is so cool."

"I´m impressed, I have been in many buses over the years but not one this luxurious. Remember the last one we had Ray? That one was very nice but not anywhere near this standard."

"Thanks. We really love it and since it´s the only home we have, we spend some money at it. Pretty much you could say."

"I would say it was good money spent. It´s a lovely home Heather."

"It suits us fine. We can go where we want and that gives us a lot of freedom."

"I think it´s awesome, I want one too." Daphne said with a big smile.

"May I asked if we could get a tour of your house? That´s one amazing looking house."

"Yes of course. Right this way." They all walked into the house.

* * *

Rayna was standing and looking over to where Deacon, David and the girls was sitting and was naturally playing guitar all four of them and singing. After lunch they had split up, the guitar playing people had gone away and left the ladies to gossip in the kitchen. She liked Heather, she did from the start when she talked over the phone or facetime. She think Heather is exactly what Maddie needed after Cash´s bad influence and the frighten Vince Pearce experience. Rayna was startled in her thoughts by Heather had walked up to her.

"They seem to enjoy themselves."

"They do. Give Deacon a guitar and soon he will have everyones attention and from what I heard I bet David is the same."

"Yeah it´s true. It´s one of the things we fell in love with them if I may be so bold to speak for the both of us."

"Mmmm and that they are so handsome men."

"That too. I want to thank you again for inviting us to your home and party, it´s really a honour."

"You are so welcome and I think it´s me and Deacon that should thank you for looking after our daughter. She has told us that you have helped her so much both in the studio with music and with everything else that a artist has to do."

"It´s been a pleasure, she is a very talented young woman."

"Yes we think so."

"Say Rayna, what did you think of her singel 'Wild Card'?"

"Sigh. I can´t say I´m thrilled about it, I think it´s a bit to much sexual allusion to it for a young girl, for any girl not just my daughter. It can send out the wrong message. I promised Deacon that I would respect Maddie´s emancipation and her right to make her own choices, and not interfere. But you have no idea how many times I wanted to call you and just do that, interfere that is. We even made a wager because he knows me so well, that this is hard for me. He don´t like it more then I do but know I will be the first to crack."

"What did you wager about?"

"At first nothing really other then it was both a promise and a bet and the one that broke it had one up on the other one. Later it got a bit into personal nature."

"Oh I see. I´m glad you think that way because I wasen´t that fond of the song either. As you said I diden´t think it was appropriated for a young girl, for Maddie. Unfortunately Caitlyn Donovon at Lennox Hill really like sit and wanted more songs like that. As that song was already written and recorded I couldn´t do that much about it but I have been trying to stear away from songs like that and made some changes in the lyrics here and there. I had been wondering why you never said anything, I thought you would. If the roles were rewersed I don´t know if I could stay out of it. Now I know why you haven´t."

"It´s hard, I wanted so badly to call you."

"I don´t know if this makes you lose the bet but here you have a demo copy of Maddie´s album." Heather gave Rayna a cd. "I brought it with me thinking you might be curious to know how it sounds before the world does. Do what you want with it but I want to give it to you."

"Thank you so much. It´s very thoughtful of you and I appreciate it very much. Thanks."

"You are welcome. Shall we join them? You have a lovely family Rayna."

"I like to think i have that." Rayna said smiling and put a arm around the younger woman and they joined the others.


	9. Chapter 9

"Welcome you all. Welcome to Highway 65 three year anniversary. Wow I can´t believe it has been three years already since that day I stormed out of Edgehill pissed as hell. That they did have the nerv to want me to do a greatest hits album. That´s what you do when you are done. I´m nowhere close to be done with music, writing new songs or touring. I´m not ready to hand in my rhinestones. Taking one or two steps back as I have now but never done with music. Never. I almost can´t believe the fact that Highway 65 still stands. It has been so many ups and downs and there have been moments where I have thought why am I doing this to myself, thinking I can run a label on my own. Then I remember I´m not alone anymore, I may started it alone but now I have a superb staff, that has grown alongside the company from the one person I had by my side from the beginning. The second most important man in my life after my husband my manager Bucky Dawes."

"I once said 'There is no Rayna Jaymes without Deacon Claybourne' that´s still true but I would like to add two name to that. Watty White and Bucky Dawes. Watty started my career by getting me gigs around town and financed my first tour and the one thing I will always be grateful of, he introduced me to Deacon. Bucky continued what Watty started, helping me with my career. He is one hell of a manager and a even better friend. I don´t know what I would do without him. Sure me and Deacon wrote the songs and performed them but without Bucky we never would have come this far. We owe him so much. Now he is helping me running this label, still beeing my manager and always have time for all our artists if they need a helping hand. This is going to be a interesting year for Highway 65. We have build our own studio which have already proven was worth every penny. We don´t have to work on a deadline so every song is worked on to perfection. We have more artists this year."

"For my own part I´m so excited. Me and Deacon will do a album together which we haven´t done in over twenty years. To be able to perform together on stage and don´t have to hide my feelings anymore, you have no idea how much I have missed that. To me Deacon and music is the same and one without the other is a feeling I don´t want to feel again, now when we are together again at last. I don´t think anyone will be surprised that I love him, always have loved him. Beeing finally married and free to kiss him, touch him on stage, basically anywhere without worrying about if anyone sees us. That feeling has giving our music a extra notch. It will be released before summer and I´m sure we will find some time to play live a couple of times. We did perform one time before Deacon got sick and that got me remember when we were young and in love. We are still in love and the feeling of performing is the same now as it was then. Amazing."

"Bucky will tell you about our plans for our other artists. I hope you all will have a good time tonight. Bucky Dawes." Rayna said as she walked down from the podium and kissed Bucky on the cheek.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to Highway 65. As Rayna said it will be a great year for the label. The studio was a stroke of genius from Rayna. I thank you Ray, we all do around here. Because we have our own studio we have been able to work completely different. All our artists will be releasing a album this spring or early summer. Ray mentioned we had more artists this year and that´s right. Ray talked Deacon to sign, so he will be doing a solo album also beside the one he is doing with Rayna. Was it anyone who diden´t guess that would happen? The other newest addition is one of my favourites, Rayna isen´t the one to brag but I´m not. I will happily do it because she sings like a angel, just like her mama and I have no doubt she will be as successful as her mama. If you don´t have guessed it yet it´s Rayna´s youngest daughter Daphne. You will hear it soon, all our artists will perform tonight."

"We got some great news to share with you. Sadie Stone is going to make a comeback and finish her album, which we are very happy for. While we have already many talent artists we have always room for more. If anyone knows someone they can always tell them to send a demo or call and make a appointment if they prefer a personal audition. That was every thing I had to say I think, then we can get this show starting. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Rayna Jaymes and Deacon Claybourne to start off the music tonight."

* * *

"Look at her how easy she is doing that now, greeting all hotshots in country music. You know I had to quiz her about who is who before any bigger greet and meet or any happenings Edgehill arranged."

"Yeah I know and when you weren´t there I had to do it." Deacon´s smile faded away.

"Did you ever resent and despite me back then for the way I treated Rayna?

"Sometimes I did I guess. I couldn´t understand why you diden´t cut down on the alcohol. You diden´t have to stop completely, just don´t drink so much. I could do it so why couldn´t you I thought. I diden´t know that much about alcoholism then just what I saw and experienced."

"If it only was that easy. How many times I have wished I could stop just like that."

"I grow up with a father that drank too. My father did never hit me and my brother or our mother, he became sort of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Either he talked a lot of silly stuff or he yelled mean and not appropiated things and cursed a lot at us. Which one depended on which mood he was in. But he managed his job and he never missed a school play, a graduation or a soccer game or anything else that was important to us. One day my mother said enough is enough and gave my father a ultimatum 'Stop drinking or I want a divorce and take the children with me'. He stopped that very day, I never saw him drunk again. I thought that he loved her so much he couldn´t live without her so he stopped drinking for her and us. A few years later he could take a beer to dinner or a whiskey in the evenings sometimes but he diden´t drink more then that. So I thought why couldn´t you do that when my father could. You loved Rayna so much with all your heart and body, no one could deny that. Your love must be the strongest I ever witnessed and still it diden´t help."

"I diden´t know you grow up that way too Bucky. You are right, my love for Rayna should have made me strong enough to resist but it diden´t somehow. The alcoholism had a too hard iron tight grip over me. I love her so much, always have and I never wanted to hurt her and that was what I did anyway. I don´t know if a ultimatum like that would have helped, she was always there even when I failed her over and over. I´m ashamed that it took me five rehab and Ray marrying another man to get me sober. I regret all the pain I caused Ray and I wished so many times that I could do it all over and change things. Except one thing, Teddy impregnating Rayna and make sweet little Daphne. Ray would be heartbroken without her and me too. I can´t imagine our lives without her."

"No that would be a cold world without Daphne in it. She is such a sweet young lady and you are right, it would be hard to picture Ray without Daphne."

"You and me are the only ones that calls her Ray."

"Yes I know. She said once that she felt so special, so loved when you called her Ray. One day it just slipped out of me and I thought she would be angry as it was your special nickname for her, but she said it was sweet of me and she diden´t mind me calling her that too."

"By the way Bucky, thank you for helping Daphne getting those pictures for my christmas present. I loved those. You don´t have any more pictures?" Deacon saw Bucky twitch a bit. "Bucky?"

"I might have. I just don´t know it it´s a good idea to give them to you."

"Why not?"

"Then I must reveal where I got them and that is one of two things I have kept from Rayna and you too for that matter. The other one was more recently and I told her last week, this secret I have kept for a long time. If I tell you then you must tell Rayna, you two don´t need more secrets causing trouble between you. You had enough of that to last for a lifetime."

"Tell me and then I decide if I have to tell Ray or not."

"No, don´t keep anything from her, it´s bad enough I do."

"Just tell me Bucky."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes I´m sure. Tell me."

"Ok. I got some pictures in my care that was used to attempt blackmailing."

"What! When?"

"A period of the first years of Ray´s marriage to Teddy. Two attempts was discovered by me going through the mail before Ray did. I dealt with with those myself. One was a reporter on a country magazine that came to me and gave me some photos he got. Unfortunate for the blackmailer the reporter really liked Rayna and diden´t want to print the photos. One day Lamar paid me a visit and handed me some pictures that was sent to him for blackmailing. Lamar said he took care of that and wanted me to know and made me promise not to tell Rayna. I agreed as I already had kept the other attempts quiet."

"What kind of pictures is it? Rayna never cheated on Teddy, we never crossed the line. I would lie if I diden´t say it was close a couple of times but best to my knowledge those times wasen´t out in the open."

"I know you diden´t. I trust you and Ray when you say you haven´t. However I can see how some people would believe you had a affair if they would see some of these pictures. I don´t know if someone has told you this Deacon, but you have very intense eyes. The way you look at Rayna sometimes is very telling, it expose your feelings very clearly. You can see the love you have for her. Now it´s nice to see two people so in love with each other but when you were apart it was heartbroken to watch. There is no crime to be in love with a married woman, but most people would interpret the pictures that you two were more then friends. About the nature of the pictures, it can be a hand on a shoulder or arm, a few hugs and one kiss. The kiss picture is from when you was still together. If you were to cross the line I don´t think you had done it like that out in the open, kissing leaning against the tour bus. And it was your old bus for that matter, first time you went out on tour after Rayna rehired you we had a new bus. Most pictures is from on stage, the way you both look at each other, hoe close you stand on stage etc. Rayna did look at you too like that."

"I want them Bucky. There is so few old pictures of us. I will tell Rayna the truth, that you only wanted to protect her. She will understand and I want to thank you for taking care of her all these years. We are both so grateful to you for all things you done for us. As Ray said we wouldn´t get this far without you."

"I will bring those photos to you."

"How come you stayed all these years with us, with Ray? You must got offers from others?"

"Same as you, I love her. Not in a sexual meaning more like a father daughter love. Even if the age difference is not that big, well if I had started early I guess it could be true. Yes I got many offers and work opportunities, both from labels and artists themselves. I was never tempted to take any of the offers. I love country music and in my youth I tried to make it but I diden´t come far, then I tried the manager job to stay in this industry and that work better. Worked for a few artists before Watty asked me if I wanted to be the manager for a up and comming young very talented woman he knew. So I went to one of your concerts and I fell in love with her voice as so many others. I was blown away from both of yours performances and the stage presence you had and I know I needed to get this job. Needed to see where this young woman would go. Then Watty introduced me to you and Rayna and I guess she saw something in me as she offered me the job as her manager. The rest is hostory as they say and I haven´t regret a single second."

"Another reason to be thankful to Watty then, first he introduced me to Ray then he brought you to us too."

"He is one of the good guys. He has helped a lot of young people making it in this business."

"Yes he sure is. I think I will go and thank him right away. Cya later Bucky."

"You do that. Cya."

* * *

Rayna really enjoyed herself where she stood and watched her husband perform by himself. It was great to see him on stage again after he lost the Beverly. Before that she had almost never watched him perform not standing on stage with him. Just that one time when she went to the Bluebird Cafe after he said she haden´t been once to see him play in ten years. It ended up with she sang with him instead of watching and all her feelings for him emerged. That time probably was when she knew her marriage wouldn´t last. Singing that song with him was dangerous, she knew that and still agreed to sing it. It felt so right, so good, so familiar. She wanted to feel like she used to, them together through the music, just this once. They may have not been free to act on their love but they had the music. That night was one of the times they were close to cross the line. If she haden´t stepped out of his car when she did, God knows what would have happened.

She liked watching him like this for a change. Now she can completely focus on just look at him without trying to sing and look at the audience too. The drawback is she can´t touch him. He is such a handsome man, much more now then in his youth. He is a real man and most important fact, he is her man.

* * *

"Deacon Claybourne?"

"Yes that´s me."

"Hello. My name is Joshua Brennon. I begged my wife who was invited as a magazine editor to take me with her. I work for the Armed Forces Entertainment as a coordinator. I was wondering if you and your family is interested to perform for our troops again? Here in the US on one of our family days. Your performance at Fort Campbell were very much appreciated."

"I will have to ask them but I think they would love that."

"Of course you shall ask them. Here is my card, give me a call when you have a answer."

"Yes I will."

* * *

Rayna felt two arms sneaked around her waist from behind and a warm body pressed against her back. A familiar scent surrounded her and a even familiar five-o´clock shadow against her cheek.

"Hello my beautiful wife."

"Hey babe."

"What are you doing back here all by yourself?"

"Just pondering a bit."

"It has been a great evening, all this is your hard work doing Ray. Everyone is having a good time." They looked around the room. Bucky was talking with Noel. Watty talked to Travis. Daphne stood with Maddie, Heather, David, Scott and Sarah. Sadie and Tandy stood together. Layla was talking to some reporters. Scarlett and Gunnar was preparing to perform on stage.

"Are you not gonna go play with them?"

"No, Gunnar can handle it. I rather be here with you, I haven´t been able to spend time with you and kiss you as much as I wanted to tonight." Rayna turned around in his arms.

"I was thinking the same. Lets do something about that." Her arms went around his neck and they kissed.

"I have this crazy idea. One part of this party is to get your artists offers to go on tour and get radio time. How about we go on a tour, you and me and a even crazier idea if we all go. Highway 65 first own tour, then we can stay longer in every town instead of rushing from city to city like a normal tour. No one else has done that. We can keep the audience on their toes, alternate who starts and ends the show, mix it up real good."

"How about Daphne? What do we do with her? We can take her with us I guess, she would love that."

"Of course we take her with us. We can go when she has summer break from school. Diden´t you see everyone´s reaction when she sang? They all loved it."

"No, I was busy watching her and you up there. She was looking so happy and you because well you with a guitar on stage is the best thing next after you making love to me."

"Mmm, that´s my favourite thing too." He kissed her again. "I was facing them and I saw you beaming with pride, Bucky shed a tear and the others were blown away. They were taken by surprise. I know we are biased as it get but she is so talented, she got so much from you Ray. She is amazing."

"Yes she is. I actually think she is so like you, it´s hard to believe she isen´t your biological daughter. She has taken after you so much, learnt so much from you. I think you should take some credit Deacon."

"Nah I say it´s all you Ray. What do you think about it, going on tour?"

"We have to talk to Bucky about it but the more I think about it I like it. You, me and Daphne is easier to arrange then all of us."

"I know where we can start."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, I got asked tonight if we wanted to play on a military family day event."

"You did?"

"Yes, he left me his card. I said I talk to you about it first then let him know. I liked it when we played at Fort Campbell and I think you did also."

"Yes I do, that was the first time we were all four on stage. I´m going to treasure that memory forever. I will happily play for our troops again."

"Ok then we have to talk to Maddie and Daphne. Maddie can be hard to get a free date as she is going on her own tour too, but we don´t know until we ask."

"Yes we do that later when we go home from this lovely evening. Have I said I love you today?"

"Yes you did from stage. I will never get tired to hear it. I love you too."

"I will never get tired to hear it too." They kissed again while Scarlett and Gunnar just started singing.

* * *

"Hi Noel. Glad you could make it. How are you?"

"Hey Bucky. I´m exhausted. It´s taking it´s toll on the body touring and then I don´t even perform like Scarlett, Gunnar and the band."

"Hehe. I know what you mean, but it´s been good I hope? The last leg of the tour?"

"Yes it´s been great. It really show they all are a generation younger then me. They have so much energy. They can party late and still go up early and look like normal. They are behaving well at least with the booze not so much with making out."

"Watty once said when he met them for the first time, that they reminded him about Rayna and Deacon. If they are anything like them then you better brace yourself for a turmoil experience and knock before enter a room where they have been alone for more then five minutes."

"Thanks, that I have learned already. I caught them half naked already."

"Welcome to my world, but you can text them now. I diden´t have that option, I had to go and talk to them eye to eye if I wanted to tell them things."

"True, I should do that more often. Good idea. It will be good with a little free time now before we start record the rest of the album. Between the making out and partying Scarlett and Gunnar did get pretty much writing done. So we have loads of material to work with."

"That´s sounds exactly like a young Rayna and Deacon. That´s good to have much to work with instead of do a song nobody really likes just to fill out the album. Are they still going by the Exes even now when they are back together?"

"Yes, they told me how they tried to name the band when Avery was still in it and it diden´t go well. So for now they still go with the Exes."

"So going anywhere for your vacation?"

"Yeah, going to my sister in Florida. Lay on the beach and spend time with my nieces."

"How old are they?"

"Six and eight."

"Wonderful ages."

"Yes. They are full of energy I tell you that, so don´t know how much relaxtion time I will get but it will be good to change enviroment for a while."

"It´s always nice to spend time with your family between tours. I see Ray wants to talk to me. Enjoy the rest of the evening, have a good vacation and I see you when you get back."

"Thanks I will. Bye Bucky."

"Bye."

* * *

Rayna sat at her vanity table and removed her jewelry. She saw the cd on the table where she left it yesterday.

"Deacon, I got a gift yesterday that I forgot to tell you about. You have to decide if we should use it or not." Deacon came and stood behind Rayna and put his hands on her shoulders and gave her a gentle massage. He was shirtless and Rayna´s eyes lit up.

"How come? If it´s your gift why would I have any objections?"

"It concerns our wager we did for several months ago, that I couldn´t let Maddie do her album without me interfering or judging her song choices. It has been hard but I have stayed out of it. Now Heather gave me a demo of Maddie´s songs." Deacon began massaging closer and closer to her breasts. "Don´t know if it breaks the rules of our bet if we listen to it, but now when I think about it maybe it´s worth losing to you." Rayna met his eyes in the mirror.

"You would not have been disapointed I can tell you that much if you did broke the wager. Which I´m actually is surprised you managed to keep. I know it was hard for you so I´m proud of you baby." Now Deacon stroked the underside of her breasts still covered by her dress. "I don´t think us listening to the songs is breaking the bet. We can call it a draw or even better we both do what we had in mind for the other one. How about that?"

Rayna´s breath was a bit faster now and her desire for him was spreading through her body. She stood up and turned around and put her hands on his chest and slowly caressed it.

"I could live with that." Deacon lowered his head and kissed her while backing her to the bed.


	10. Chapter 10

Deacon was sitting in the lounge outside the studio with his guitar working on a song. Bucky knocked on the doorframe.

"Are you busy?"

"No, come in Bucky."

"I have those pictures we talked about at the party."

"You have? I have been looking forward to see them."

Bucky handed him a envelope. Deacon put away his guitar and took the envelope and opened it. He was surprised at so many levels, first at the amount of pictures, it was so many. Then the intensity of them. He had thought about what Bucky said about his eyes and the way he looks at Rayna. He had heard it before during when they were together the first time when they were young, not during her marriage or after. But he had never looked at it in the old pictures that he had seen before but now he saw at these pictures with new eyes, seeing what everyone else sees. And he agreed with Bucky, if he diden´t know better himself he would definitely think they were having a affair. Then all those pictures with him, Rayna and the girls. Most was with only Maddie. At that time he was sober otherwise Ray wouldn´t had allowed him being near the girls, but the thing was he diden´t remember spending that much time with them without Teddy being there. He could maybe pick out out four or five occasions but the rest he had no memories of. They looked like a normal family.

Bucky saw the different expressions shifted in Deacon´s eyes and face. From happy to intense love to a quick sad look then back to happy. Bucky could almost imagine what Deacon was feeling right about now. He haden´t looked at the pictures in years but now when he picked them out from their hiding place, he looked at them again. They were really lovely pictures. Two people who love each other so much you could literally see it. Perhaps not socially appropriated at the time considering Rayna was married but they both probably diden´t know other people could see it that clearly. They were careful not to get caught in situations that could lead to speculations but diden´t know how telling their eyes and looks could be sometimes. Now when they are married and perfectly acceptable to show their feelings openly, it warms his heart that they still look at each other like they have for over twenty eight years now.

All those pictures with them and the girls. Those that don´t know them would assume that the man in the pictures is the dad, not a uncle that isen´t a real uncle by blood but the children´s mother´s guitar player. They looked like every other ordinary family out on a walk, having a picnic or having fun at the swings.

"I love these pictures. Thanks Bucky. I promise I will tell Ray. If I know her right she will be upset with you but not for the reason you think. Not for the blackmailing attempts but for keeping these pictures from her. She will love them, they are lovely pictures. I will see to it that she isen´t gonna yell at you either way. Thanks again Bucky."

"You are welcome. They are wonderful pictures indeed. I will let you get back to that song, cya later Deacon."

"Bye."

* * *

Rayna was pondering a bit where she sat on a flight to New York. On her left side sat Daphne who has spent the first half an hour looking out the window even long after when she could see anything else then clouds. Now she had earphones in and her eyes were closed, it looked like she was sleeping. Daphne had been thrilled when they told her they were going out on a tour this summer, all three of them. Now they were going to New York for Maddie´s release party at Lennox Hill. She and Deacon did listen to the demo and she was so relieved that they diden´t were like Wild Card. Heather said they diden´t but it was good to hear herself. Rayna was quite surprised by the sound of the songs. They sounded more mature then those she wrote with Daphne but still not that different. She know Maddie diden´t wrote all songs alone, three were co-written and two were written by others and chosen by Caitlyn herself. One was actually one of Maddie´s and Daphne´s old songs. There she was proven wrong when she thought Maddie´s label wouldn´t allow Maddie to use her old songs. Maddie herself had matured so much this past year, it it was the emancipation or just normal ageing is going to be hard to proven. Now when they were back on track after the fall out of the emancipation maybe it wasen´t all bad after all. Maybe it was suppose to be, like her and Deacon´s story. Their life wouldn´t be like it´s today if they were to marry young. Maybe it had been good or it could been worse, that they will never know. Anyway she is happy that Maddie isen´t under Cash´s influence anymore, Heather has really been good for her. She is so grateful to Glenn for finding Heather.

Rayna looked to her right where Deacon sat. He was reading a magazine. She looked for a little while before she couldn´t resist anymore. She leaned towards him and kissed his cheek. He turned his head and their lips met in a real kiss. He raised his eyebrows in a silent question.

"Nothing, just wanted too." Rayna took his arm in arm and put her free hand on his forearm and caressed it. She leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

* * *

Rayna and Deacon were in their hotel room getting dressed up for go out and have dinner with Maddie. Deacon put on his white dress shirt and started button it.

"Tonight we are going out with Maddie and the day after tomorrow it´s the release party, that leaves tomorrow free. Do you want to go out just you and me? We can leave Daphne with Maddie."

"Are you asking me out on a date?

"Yes, is there a rule you can´t ask your wife out on a date? I can count on the fingers of one hand the number we have been out on a real date."

"No, no rule, just clarifying. So what does this date including?"

"I guess the usually, movie and dinner maybe dancing and a good night kiss at the end of the evening. But I hope for more then just a kiss if I should be honest."

"Oh yeah? What do you have in mind?"

"Both of us naked and doing a lot more then kissing for starters."

"Well I have to think about it." Rayna said with a flirtatious smile.

"You do that, will you let me know what you decide?"

"You will be the first one to know." Rayna stood up and walked over to him. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Yes, I say yes. I want to go on a date with you."

Deacon smiled at her and they kissed again.

* * *

"It was a long time since we had a movie night Maddie. It will be fun."

"Yes it was. It´s been a crazy one and a half year. Me being immature and stupid enough to hang out with Cash and listen too much to her. Hurting everyone in my family. Stuck with a contract that at first I diden´t want but now I have to do the best I can with it as I have no choice. I´m feeling better now with the situation when I got Heather. She has been helping me a lot."

"Are you nervous for tomorrow?"

"Yes a little. Even if Caitlyn rushed this album I think we did good with it. It´s all good songs and I love them but it´s a bit strange doing this by myself. I thought the first album I would do would be with you, should been with you. We been singing together all our lives and now when we finally recording songs it´s by ourselves, not together."

"I thought that too. I know we wouldn´t sing together forever but I thought at least the first album we would record for real, professional was gonna be together. Mom says the age difference between us is the biggest it will ever get now. Our lives would changed when you gone to college anyhow, now it just got a bit sooner then that."

"I´m really sorry for all of it Daphne."

"It´s ok. I have already forgiven you for it. It´s all in the past now. I can´t be sad or mad as mom and dad is taking me on a summer tour."

"Yeah mom told me. That sounds amazing, it will be so much fun for you. I can´t wait to hear all about it, you must report to me as often as you can."

"I will. What movie are we going to see?"

"You chose movie and I fix the popcorn and drinks." Maddie walked to the kitchen while Daphne skimmed through the movie selection.

* * *

Rayna and Deacon sat at a window table on a sky roof restaurant with the wonderful view of a evening light Manhattan. They had just finished their dessert. Rayna reached for his hand and intertwined their fingers.

"I haven´t been to the movies in ages, must have been when the girls were little and we went on a childrens movie. You are right, we haven´t been on many dates, you and me alone dining out on a restaurant. I had a wonderful time."

"Me too."

"We should do this more often."

"Maybe we should, it´s easier here where people don´t recognize you or don´t care. Back home we would be lucky if we managed one night out in town without anyone disturbing, even if it´s just to say hi or take a photo."

"True, while I love my fans I wish they could let it stick to that at concerts, meet and greats, red carpet etc, where it´s a part of my job. Not while I´m out having dinner with my family or having a romantic evening with my husband, then I wish they could respect that."

"It´s unfortunately a part of the fame. That´s one thing why I diden´t pursue a solo career that hard, I diden´t want the fame that comes along with it. I was happy being your band leader. People diden´t care about me, if they did they were just wondering what a guy like me was doing with a woman like you."

"You can´t really think that still, do you? You are the most handsome gorgeous man on the planet. So you tell me you haven´t noticed all the girls and women that look at you?"

"What other women? I only see you Ray. You are the most beautiful woman in the world, always been and always will. I love you Ray." Deacon lifted their joint hands and kissed her fingers.

"Nice save. I don´t believe you but I will let it pass this time, because you said so nice things to me."

"I meant every word Ray."

"So do I Deacon. Believe me when I say you are a very handsome man. Sometimes I can´t get anything done because I can´t stop looking at you." Deacon smiled and kissed her hand again.

"Are you ready? Shall we go for a stroll before we go back to our hotel room and you show me how you wanted this date to finish? I mean so I don´t make the mistake and just kiss you good night." Rayna said smiling. Deacon continued smiling and signaled a waiter to check out.

* * *

Rayna stood beside Deacon holding his hand and Daphne stood infront of them. They had just listen to Caitlyn Donovon´s opening speech and introduction of Lennox Hill´s newest additions. There were four artists in total, another young girl, a solo man, a duo of two men and then Maddie. They were preparing to perform a song each and Maddie was the first one up. David walked to the set up stage and took up his guitar from the case. Maddie was handed a microphone and walked to the stage. Rayna thought Maddie looked nervous, she was smiling and looked very happy but nervous. During Maddie´s performance Rayna felt so much joy, so much pride that this girl is their daughter. The demo they listened to was a rough copy, this was so much better.

Daphne looked at them and her whole face was one big beaming smile. Rayna smiled back and cast a glance at Deacon and he was smiling too. When Maddie was done she came to them. Rayna hold out her arms and Maddie ran the last bit right into her arms for a hug.

"That was so great, you were so good sweetie."

"Thanks Mom."

"Yes Maddie, that was so awesome. It was beautiful." Daphne chimed in when it was her turn to hug Maddie.

"I agree with both previous speakers, you were incredible Maddie. It´s a beautiful song. Is that one of your own songs, or a co-write?"

"Sort of a co-write, I did almost the whole song on my own. Heather helped with a line here and there."

"I´m so proud of you Maddie."

"Thanks Dad, thanks all of you."

"While they listened to the other artists Heather and David joined them.

"See I told you, you would do great. It was fantastic Maddie."

"I´m so glad that´s over so I don´t have to be nervous anymore."

"Rayna, you have a minute?"

"Sure." Rayna and Heather went a bit away from the others.

"Did you listen to the demo?"

"Yes I did."

"What did you think? It wasen´t that bad as I´m sure you thought it to be?"

"You are right, now and then. You said I diden´t have to worry about the songs and I diden´t. It was such a relief I can tell you. I thought the songs was wonderful. Maddie said you helped her write it."

"Not much, just one phrase. Maddie did the rest. It´s sure a pretty song. On another note, how did that wager go between you two if you don´t mind me asking?"

A smile formed on Rayna´s lips. "We both came out of that bet as winners."

"Good for both of you then."

"It sure was."

Heather turned a bit and raised her voice. "Maddie, will you come over here plz?

Maddie came over to them. "Yes Heather?

"I see Caitlyn wants to introduce you to a number of people. If you will excuse us Rayna."

"Of course."

* * *

When they walked away Rayna looked around the room and saw at least two radio directors that did attend her party too. David was still talking to Deacon and Daphne and she was about to join them again when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Rayna!"

"Juliette! Avery! What a pleasent surprise. What are you doing here?" Rayna hugged them both.

"Maddie asked me to come. I hope that is ok with you?"

"Yes of course. Why wouldn´t it be ok?"

"Last time we saw each other I wasen´t on my best behaviour and all bad things I said. Leaving you and your label like that."

"You were dealing with some heavy personal problems at the time."

"That´s no excuse and you diden´t? You were dealing with Deacon´s cancer."

"Yes but he survived it and we diden´t lose him, but we almost lost you."

"I hit rock bottom you could say. I was in so bad shape, it´s a miracle I stand here today. Like it wasen´t enough a man died saving me, I did another attempt in rehab with pills this time. I diden´t believe I had any problems and refused all help Avery, Glenn or Emily tried to offer me. Then I made the big mistake to add too much alcohol to the disease I know now I had which led to that fateful evening. Now with therapy I have slowly been able to work through my problems."

"I´m forever thankful to your doctor so Cadence and I can have you in our lives, alive and happy."

"I´m so glad that therapy helped you. It certainly helped me and Deacon."

"Yes it helped me so much. Helped me get my priorities right, from thinking me me me and my career to that I have a daughter. I´m not the only singer that had a baby. I just need to find that balance like you and all others have done. It has been so good for me to stay away from the spotlight this past year, just being home with Cadence and Avery. I´m so sorry that I couldn´t attend yours and Deacon´s wedding but I hope you will come to ours? We are going to get remarried."

"You are? How wonderful. I´m so happy for both of you."

"I love this woman and I want to spend my life with her and our children. We are expecting an addition to the family. Juliette is carrying our second child."

"Congratulation. I´m so happy for you. I don´t seem to find any words, I just repeat myself but it´s wonderful news."

"Yes it is. We are so looking forward to it."

"My biggest fear is that I will get sick again, but now we all are better prepared for it. We know what signs to look for now and my therapist is going to live with us the first two months. Just in case, just to be sure."

"We don´t want that so it sounds like a good idea. If you want to talk I´m just a phone call away."

"Thanks Rayna."

"I want to thank you for lending Glenn to Maddie and found Heather, she is a godsend. She has been so good for Maddie."

"My pleasure, I diden´t like Cash either but I can´t take the credit for finding Heather. That´s all Glenn´s work but I have met her and agree with you. She is perfect for Maddie and after what we heard today it´s a perfect match."

"Juliette!" They both turned when they heard Maddie´s voice from a distance.

"I leave you to talk alone." Rayna hugged Juliette. "Don´t be a stranger now. Bye."

"Bye Rayna."

"Juliette! I´m so happy you came."

"Of course I came. I wouldn´t miss it for the world. Maddie you were great, that was a beautiful song."

"Thanks, I really like it. Look at you, you look great."

"I feel much better now, staying home with my family has helped a lot. I missed so much when I was sick, so lets go and sit down and you can tell me all about how it was to record your first album." They went to a group of armchairs and sat down.


	11. Chapter 11

Rayna and Daphne stood on the stage in the empty arena. Well empty on audience, there were a few roadies setting up for the evening show. Rayna put one arm around Daphne´s shoulders.

"This is our first stop, our first show. How are you feeling?"

"Fine at the moment but think I will get more nervous the closer we get. I know it´s not my first time on a stage or singing before a crowd but it´s the first real real time. What if I freeze up or forget the words?"

"That happens to all of us sometimes. Remember to breathe calmly and look at Deacon. He will be right there behind you and he will smile at you and his eyes will tell you, you can do this, that you are great. I have always drawn strength from him, he has always been there and it helps. He will do that for you too."

"Ok."

"I´m actually a bit nervous too, Deacon and I haven´t been out on a tour together for five years. You can´t count the Red Lips White Lies tour I did with Juliette because he diden´t play with me as he was on Juliette´s tour. Every since we decided to do this tour I have been counting the days. To go on the road with Deacon again is something I have been dreaming of for so long, wishing it would happen again. Even better is that we are married and free to show our love and the best thing is that I can bring my daughters with me. At least one of them." Rayna smiled at Daphne.

"I´m so happy you are letting me come along when I guess you two rather be alone, as this is your first tour as a couple in twenty years."

"Of course we want you with us. You know we love each other and are making love quite often, we will find time to be alone, time for just us. Trust me, we will find a way."

"Ok." Daphne smiled at her mom.

"Come, I want to show you our ritual we had once we hit big, when we started playing bigger arenas." They walked down from the stage and up the rows where the audience are going to be. Rayna stopped when she reached the back rows.

"This section we used to call the nosebleeds. When you perform you have to sing for everyone in here and not just those in front rows. People pay money for these seats too, those that don´t have so much money to spend but still wants to go to concerts. So we always go up here before our set and think about how our song is going to reach up here, draw in the atmosphere. We sit up here for a while pondering the situation, thinking how lucky we are doing what we love and can live on it. Sometimes we just sat there in silence, other times we went through our set list. One thing that was consistent was that we usually kissed."

"Did I hear kissing? One of my favorite things to do with my two favorite girls, one of them happens to be my wife, lucky me." Deacon had sneaked up on them without any of them had noticed him.

"Deacon! I was just showing Daphne what we used to do before concerts."

"Not all of it I hope, don´t think she is old enough and don´t think she want to know either."

Rayna blushed slightly. "Not that smart ass, the important stuff up here in the nosebleed section."

"I know, I´m just teasing. Daphne, I guessing Rayna already told you why we do it. It´s so important that everyone feels welcome, that everyone feels that we are singing just for them and they go home with a warm feeling."

"I will try my very best to sing for everyone wherever they sit."

"You will do great. It will be fine, you will see."

"Yes Daphne, I can´t imagine it will be anything else then perfection. I still want to emphasize kisses are very important."

"You guys are so silly sometimes, but I love you Mom, Dad."

"We love you too sweetie." Daphne hugged them both.

"I´m getting hungry. Anyone else is? Shall we go and have some lunch?"

"Yes I´m a bit hungry too."

"Sure."

"Lets go."

* * *

It knocked on the door to the dressing room Rayna was using.

"Come in." Deacon opened the door and stepped in.

"Hello girls. Are you ready? Showtime in twenty minutes." He looked around the room. "Where is Daphne? I thought she was here with you?"

"She is in the bathroom. You are looking pretty handsome."

"I have two ladies to dress up for now, so they won´t be ashamed to be seen in my company." Deacon said smiling.

"We wouldn´t do that to you. We love you. I have never been ashamed to be in love with you. Daddy and Tandy had a problem with that, not me. I wouldn´t trade you for all the rich country club snobs in the world."

"It´s probably for the best not only for me but for you too. Those kind of men wouldn´t know how to be with a woman like you. They wouldn´t see past your beauty and see and get to know the incredible warm, loving, caring and one of a kind woman you are. They would get blinded with your beautiful features, your face, hair and body to die for. I can´t blame them for that especially when you are looking like that. You are so beautiful Ray."

"What, this old rag I found at the bottom of the closet. But thank you kind Sir." Rayna said smiling and walked to him. She put her hands on his chest and they kissed.

"Shouldn´t Daphne be out by now? Is she sick?"

"I´m here Dad. I have been out for a while." Deacon turned around.

"There you are. Look at you, so beautiful just like your mama. Come here." Deacon gave her a big hug and kissed her cheek. "Are we ready? Lets get this show on the road.

* * *

Rayna stood at the side of the stage watching Daphne perform on a arena for the first time. Daphne had been so nervous the last two hours that Rayna feared she wouldn´t go out on stage. Now Rayna diden´t see a ounce of that. There was no nervously or unsure about Daphne´s performance. Rayna´s heart was almost bursting out of her chest with pride. This wonderful girl is her daughter. Their daughter even if Daphne don´t have a single blood drop from Deacon, she is so like him in every other way. He has influenced her all her life and that is showing all the time. She is looking so beautiful, so happy and emit self-confidence beyond her age. She is so young and Rayna still have some contradictory feelings about letting her perform this young. She is a bit afraid for what the press is going to think and say about Daphne and herself for allowing her daughter perform professionally. But Rayna pushed those thoughts away, lets deal with that tomorrow. Right now she is just a proud mother. Rayna felt a hand on her shoulder and turned her head and saw Bucky.

"She sings and looks like a angel, just as her mother. That´s the most beautiful I have seen or heard in a long time. She is absolute wonderful isen´t she?"

"Yes she is, but I´m biased. With that said I´m so proud being her mother. I can´t believe my little girl has grown up so fast."

"You have done a marvelous job raising her up, both girls. You are a good mother Ray. Those girls are loved by everyone of us that is close to them."

"That´s very sweet of you Bucky but you are biased too."

"That I am but it´s the truth. I only speak the truth."

"Hmm you are so kind. I thank you Bucky." She kissed him on the cheek and turned to look at the stage again. She caught Deacon´s gaze and they locked eyes with each other.

Bucky noticed it and know that he lost her attention. Rayna wasen´t interested to continue their conversation, so he turned his attention back to the stage too. When he locked at Daphne now, singing for the first time in a big arena infront of thousands of people and looking so calm, so full of control, so beautiful beyond measurement. It reminded him about the first time he saw Rayna. They both has the unique power to mesmerize the audience, every word is hiting the mark. He came into Rayna´s life when she was about twenty. As he told Deacon before, he went to one of their concerts and know instantly he needed to be around her. Needed to see where that young woman would go and he did and haven´t regretted anything. Now he saw so much of Ray in Daphne, so like her mother. Rayna had him listen to Maddie´s album and he loved it too, a little more pop then country but it was beautiful. They both got every bit of talent their mother have.

He has always considering Rayna and the girls to be his family. If Rayna is like a daughter to him then the girls logically would be his granddaughters, but he don´t feel old enough as a grandpa so he thinks they are like daughters too. He has been around the girls since they were born and loved them from the first day he saw them. But he must admit Daphne have a special spot in his heart. She was born in a time when Rayna had finally settled in her marriage with Teddy after her turmoil time getting over not being with Deacon. Bucky knew a lot that went on in Rayna´s life, as both her manager and friend she confided in him. With him she could talk about everything that happened in her life. All about Lamar´s disapproval, her marital problems with Teddy, how much she missed Deacon and when she fought with Tandy. As he would never betray her confidence and tell anyone. Rayna become so happy when she was expecting another baby. She was born to be a mother. After Daphne was born Rayna seemed a lot more happier with everything and that made him happy. Her happiness means everything to him. He would give his life for her and the girls.

Daphne was still singing and Bucky noticed that Rayna haden´t taking a photo of Daphne on her big night. He remembered how much Deacon and presumably Rayna too even if she haven´t said anything about it yet liked the pictures he got them. He could capture this tour by taking photos and then surprise them at the end of the tour. What a brilliant idea he thought to himself. He stepped back a bit and took his phone out and took some pictures of Daphne, of Daphne and Deacon and of Rayna watching them.

* * *

Rayna and Deacon had just sat down on the couch on the bus after talking with Maddie and left Daphne with the laptop to fill Maddie in with how it was her first show. Deacon had pulled Rayna down on his lap and Rayna diden´t find any reason what so ever to object. Being in his arms are one of her favorite places to be. Rayna closed her eyes and leaned her head against his shoulder. Deacon pressed lazy kisses to her temple and forehead.

"I´m so tired. If this is what it´s going to be, I will be totally exhausted by the end of the first week."

"I´m kinda tired myself too."

"Are we a little rusty or do I dread saying just getting old?"

"Maybe it´s a combination of the two."

"Maybe you are right but I´m so really looking forward to do this tour. I really enjoyed it to stand on a big stage together with you again. I have missed it so much."

"I have too, it´s not the same without you. These last four years when I have been on tours with others it hasen´t felt as it usually does. Something was missing, it only felt like a job I was getting paided for. Not like when touring with you I feel with both body and soul, with every fibre of me and not just when we were together but also when I just was your guitar player."

"I know the feeling. I don´t know how many guitar players Bucky got me these past years. No one could measure up to you. I diden´t like a single one of them accept Adria. She was good enough and played the right notes but it wasen´t the same."

They were silent for a while and just enjoyed being in each others arms. "What´s the time? Shall we get up and do something? Or else I will fall asleep right here."

"It´s ok with me. I love having you in my arms. Do you want to do anything?"

"It has been so long time so I don´t remember what we used to do once we had some free time on the bus. What did we do? We haden´t phones or internet so I couldn´t chat to someone as Daphne is. Not that I had many to chat to, besides Tandy perhaps when we wren´t fighting."

"Are you asking me what we did? My memories from that time is a bit fuzzy. All I remember is drinking, writing songs and making love."

"Mmm lets skip drinking but keep the other two."

"Sounds good to me. Lets try out our new bedroom."

"Daphne, we are going to bed. Don´t stay up too late."

"Ok. Good night Mom, Dad."

"Night."

* * *

Rayna and Deacon are sitting in the living area of the bus. Deacon with a guitar in his hands and Rayna is holding a pad and pencil.

"If we have after just one week written two songs already, we will have a whole album when this tour is over if we continue like this."

"Yes it´s surprisingly how easy these two songs came to us. Maybe it´s that we have time now, nothing else we can do while we are on the bus. Away from our normal mundane routines and can really sit down and go at it without feeling guilty we should do a million other things. Especially you Ray, you work to much. I have more time to write."

"I know babe, it´s so much I diden´t count on involving in running a label. I know my own music has been neglecting a bit. Therefore I´m so grateful and happy that I have such a good husband that wrote most of our new songs and suggested we do this tour. It has only been one week but I´m loving it already. Missed it so much to be out and play and to do it with you again is a dream coming true."

"I feel the same way baby. After all turns we both got hit with these past four years after you had to fire me, I almost lost hope to ever be on the road with you again. Now I´m so glad that we are able to go out on tour, especially this fast and we can have Daphne with us. Too bad we can´t have Maddie too, the whole family."

"Yes that would have been even better."

They heard the door to the sleeping compartments open and Daphne walked out.

"Good morning sleeping beauty."

"Morning. Is it late?"

"The clock is past eleven."

"Oh, I guess I was more tired then I thought then."

"It´s ok. There is one good benefit by having a rolling home. You don´t have to get up and dressed to get moving and out on the road. Breakfast is over there at the table. Bucky came over with it. Help yourself Daphne, we have already eaten."

"Ok. Where is Bucky?"

"He left already and are on his way to our next stop and making sure everything is ready for us."

"Where is the next stop?"

"Jackson, Mississippi."

"Cool."

* * *

Another week has past and now when they have arrived in Alabama, Deacon has a surprise mission to do. Deacon is up and trying to sneak out of the bus without waking up everybody. He past the first trial, got out of the bed and got dressed without waking Rayna. A crucial importance if his mission is going to succeed. He failed on passing second obstacle, in the dark he diden´t see Daphne´s hand which stuck out from her bunk. Daphne was shaken awake by Deacon´s stumbled into her hand. Newly awaken she put out her head and looked after what woke he and saw Deacon.

"Dad, what are you doing?"

"Ssssh, go back to sleep Daphne. I´m just going to pop out for a while and see if I can find something special to breakfast." Deacon whispered.

"Can I come?" Daphne now also whispered.

"Sure. Get dressed but be quiet so you don´t wake the others. I will wait for you in the living area." Deacon past the drape that leads to the first sleeping compartments where Yolanda and Trish, Rayna´s two backup singers are sleeping. He past them without disturbing them. After five minutes Daphne appeared and they left the bus. They walked through the streets block by block.

"What are you looking for Dad? We have past several stores by now."

"It´s not far now. I want to see if that bakery we found on one of our stops here still exists. They had this amazingly heavenly good bread and biscuits. Rayna just loves them, one time we bought everything they had in store. It lasted the whole tour. I don´t know if it´s only in this city or the entire state of Alabama but we have never found those biscuits anywhere else. So if that bakery is still here I thought I would buy some and surprise Ray with breakfast in bed."

"That´s nice, she normaly don´t like surprises but she would love this."

"That she do, but breakfast in bed has never failed so far."

"And if you bring her her one of her favorit bread and biscuits I think it will work this time too."

"Exactly my plan." They smiled at each other. "Look there it is. It still is a bakery, now I hope they still bake the same goods."

Deacon was in luck, it was the same old bakery and the clerk assured they still used the old recipes. They bought a big selection of both bread and biscuits. They poped in a supermarket on their way back and bought some complements to their breakfast. Once back on the bus they prepared the breakfast.

"Do we have everything now? Juice, coffee, bread and cheese, biscuits and yogurt?"

"Yep, it´s all here."

"Then lets go and surprise your mama. I take the tray and you open the doors."

Rayna was still asleep when they entered the bedroom. Deacon put down the tray on his side of the bed. Daphne climbed up and sat on the bed. Deacon put one hand on the mattress on either side of Rayna as she laid in bed and leaned down and gave her light kisses on the cheek."

"Time to wake up my darling." Rayna stirred a little before she opened her eyes. She met Deacon´s eyes and she smiled sleepy at him and put her arms around his neck and kissed him properly good morning.

"Morning babe. I like it when you wake me like this."

"I brought you something."

"Mmm, like what?"

"Breakfast in bed." Rayna turned her head to where Deacon was looking and saw the tray and Daphne who sat there smiling looking at them.

"Good morning Mom."

"Morning sweetie. That´s very sweet of you, both of you. Thank you."

"It was Deacon´s idea, but I helped preparing it."

Rayna looked a little more closely at the tray. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Yes it is. It´s still up and running that old bakery. Daphne and I took a early morning walk and did a little shopping."

"It´s fantastic that they are still in business. Do they taste the same?"

"I haven´t tasted yet, but the clerk said they were using the old recipe. I thought you would have the honor to taste first."

Rayna sat up and rested her back at the headboard and arranged the covers around her. Deacon climbed up and they digged into the breakfast.


	12. Chapter 12

Yolanda, one of Rayna´s two backup singers on this tour was sitting in the couch in the back of the living area. Trish the other one diden´t feel too good and went to bed early. They slept on this bus with Daphne and of course Rayna and Deacon. The rest of the band, basically all boys slept on the other bus. Bucky drive his own car and sleeps at hotels most of the time but he usually drop in every day to check on everyone.

Yolanda have been touring with Rayna since the start, not every tour but many of them. Sometimes she has been out on other jobs but if she has a choice, Rayna is first priority. She liked touring with Rayna for several reasons but one is that Rayna treat everyone with respect and warmth, everyone from janitors, to roadies, to other artists.

Now she was looking through her social media feeds on her phone while she listen with a half ear on Rayna and Deacon working on a song. This was her favorite time besides singing, lazy evenings on the bus when they all hang out in the living area. They would sometimes sing all of them including her and Trish. Deacon was never far away from a guitar, or Yolanda just listen to them. When Rayna and Deacon was tired they would snuggle close to each other and just enjoying being in each other arms. Yolanda liked it that they diden´t hide their love, not from them, or Daphne or even the audience. They could kiss and hug on stage, holding hands they did all the time. It was so nice to hear that they finally got married after all these years.

Since Yolanda has been with them from the start she have seen first hand how much they have loved each other, how unhappy Rayna was when she had forced Deacon to rehab and broke up with him. Even when Rayna was newlywed she could see a hint of sadness within her. When Rayna rehired Deacon as her bandleader Yolanda swear she saw the light returned to Rayna. The chemistry between them were still there, they weren´t free to act on it but she saw how they looked at each other. How they managed to fight that strong love between them and stay away from each other for so long is a wonder. It takes really strong-willed people to not give in to the desire both body and heart wants and need. Knowing their history it´s so nice to see them now together again, married even and their love strong as ever.

During all these years Yolanda has been touring with Rayna, she has witnessed a lot and on a few occasions Yolanda have comfort Rayna when her feelings got the better of her and she couldn´t hold it in anymore. With that said Yolanda has also witnessed how a strong woman Rayna really is, so many times she has sucked it up and become the queen of country music and continued to sing and tour when she really just would rather go home to her girls. Sometimes Yolanda had wondered why no one from the press have never asked her about Rayna. Not that she would say anything to anyone about Rayna anyway but it has been strange that nobody never asked. Yolanda got startled in her thoughts by a happy scream from Rayna.

"That´s it. That´s brilliant Deacon, those words fits perfectly in that last verse. We can just have written our fourth song. Play it from the start now and lets go through it."

"Sure."

Yolanda put her phone away and looked at them singing together their latest hit, that she was sure on. She has been around so long that she recognized a hit song when she hears one. She smiled, she was truly blessed to be working with Rayna and Deacon. See these two genius songwriters in action. She has to revise her earlier statement, this is her favorite time, seeing them work their music magic. How many is lucky enough to get to see this.

* * *

"Isen´t she pretty? Daphne said smiling.

"Yes she is."

"We have been singing all our lives, mom have been singing with us, to us when we were too small to join in. All from lullabies, to children´s songs, to christmas carols to her own music. We have been visiting mom on tour and special nights perfomances. Seen and heard her sing hundreds of times but never realized until I came to this tour, how big a star mom is. How much people loves her, admire her, how much they want to hear her sing. To me she has always been just mom. I never saw this side of the industry before, meeting all the fans, the press, musicians and other celebrities. For the past weeks everyone have said how happy they are for mom have new music out, a new album. A new album together with Deacon, especially with Deacon. They have missed them both, missed them together. They say their best music is from the time when they were together."

"Yes I know, people use to say that to me too, that they specially like the duets."

"Look at them Bucky. They are so great together, mom looks so happy, they both do."

Both of them turned their heads to the stage where Rayna and Deacon performed.

"Yes they are. Ray looks absolute gorgeous up there."

"Do you think mom ever loved my dad?"

Bucky looked a little confused down at Daphne. "Of course she did."

"I mean really loved him? Like she loves Deacon."

"If I should be honest I think Rayna loved Teddy the best she could, she really wanted their marriage to work but no I don´t think she loved him the same way she loved Deacon. Rayna´s and Deacon´s love is unique, it´s very rare. In all my years I haven´t seen anything like it. Why do you ask?"

"I love Deacon, he is my stepdad and I love him as he would be my real father. I love mom and him together, that she is finally with the man she loves. Sometimes I just get a little sad thinking my dad never got to feel a love like that, never really understood this part of mom´s life. The music, the love of the music, how it feels in your entire body and soul. Dad has the same opinion as grandpa had, it´s just songs, you sing the lyrics and that´s that. They like it when I sing to them but they don´t understand that sometimes it´s so much more then just a song. If dad had understood more what the music means to mom maybe they would been happier and then maybe he haden´t done some of the choices he did which ended up with him locked away."

"How is Teddy doing?"

"We write to each other. He says he is ok, everything is fine, but he won´t let me visit him anymore. He don´t want me to see him like that, locked in. I miss him."

"I can understand him though, it´s about pride. He loves you too much to see him in prison."

"I guess, but I still want to see him not just write."

"I think he wants that too deep inside."

They both went silent for a while. Bucky saw how sad Daphne was and was desperately looking for something to say to cheer her up.

"I heard that Maddie is in the area and coming to visit tomorrow. Isen´t that going to be fun? You haven´t seen her for a while now, at least five weeks since this tour started. I haven´t seen Maddie for more then nine months."

"Yes that will be fun. We have so much to catch up with, my tour, her tour. We talk on phone and facetime but it´s not the same as meeting in person."

"No it isen´t."

They turned to the stage when the audience started to applaude and cheer, indicating Rayna and Deacon just finished their song. They saw them share a long kiss on stage.

"They will do one more song then you go in for the closing bit with them, A Life That´s Good as always. You know, that´s one of my favorite songs."

"Mine too, every since I heard it. Maddie played it for me a little while after we found out Deacon was Maddie´s biological father. And then all of us sang it at Fort Campbell, I saw that moment mean something to them. They seemed more closer after that."

"You are right. I did also noticed a difference between them after that and your performance for the military troops was very much appreciated. I got a lot of calls saying how much people enjoyed it. Very good feedback."

"I like it, it was a good day." The audience cheered again.

"Ok, in you go my little sunshine. Close this evenings show, after this we only have one week left."

"Cya later Bucky." Daphne walked out on stage to join her parents in the last song as they have done every show on this tour.

* * *

Rayna and Deacon walking hand in hand backstage in a arena in Columbia. Their last stop on the tour where they are going to do three shows. They had just talked to the arena manager together with Bucky and were on their way back to the bus to get Daphne and go sightseeing.

"I was thinking if we leave Daphne on the bus with Yolanda and Trish to keep a eye on her, do you wanna go out and have dinner with me?"

"Are you asking me out on a date now Ray?"

"Yes, you know I´m for equal rights."

"That I know, I wasen´t complaining about being asked, just clarifying. Yes of course I want to go on a date with you. Have you anywhere specific in mind where you wanna go?"

"Not a specific restaurant no, but other then that I thought we could recopy the other date we had in New York."

"Mmm I like the way you think Ray." He captured her lips with his for a kiss. "When do you wanna go? Tonight?"

"Yeah, why not. We don´t have a show this evening."

"Ok tonight it is then." Deacon kissed her again.

* * *

"That was one of the best baked salmon I ever had in my life."

"Yeah, that wasen´t bad at all."

"The dessert we ordered sounded interesting."

"So was the starters too. You picked a good restaurant Ray. I have something for you."

"You have?"

"You beat me to it, I was going to ask you out." Deacon took out a little black square box and handed to Rayna. "Here you go baby."

Rayna opened the box and revealed a bracelet. "It´s beautiful. Thank you Deacon."

"It was suppose to be your present for our one year wedding anniversary but it diden´t got made in time. Do you remember the jeweller Melissa I told you about, she who made you that jewelry I got you for christmas?"

"Yes of course I do. Have she made this one too?"

"Yes she has, but unfortunately she broke her arm so she couldn´t finish it in time for our anniversary. I got a call last week she finally was done and she felt so terribly sorry for not having it done in time she insisted on to drive and delivery directly to me. I said it wasen´t necessary, I could get it when I was back home again but she insisted and I met up with her the other day. It´s too far to everything, your birthday, christmas, our wedding day or valentine´s day for me to hide it so long from you. So I´m giving it to you now."

"But when did you sneak out to get it without me missing you? We have been practically inseparable these weeks and I like it."

"I love having you close to me at all times. The other day when you was talking to Tandy on the phone. I said I was going out for a little walk."

"But how did you have time for that? We diden´t talk that long."

"You was still on the phone when I got back, it was over two hours Ray."

"It was? It diden´t feel that long."

"If it´s one thing your sister is known for it´s talking and you are no stranger to it too. No one could say you are a woman with few words baby, not like me."

"Hmm true, I must admit that. I tend to talk a lot sometimes. But a few words can be so powerful and mean so much."

"If it´s the right words. Like these, I love you Ray."

Rayna´s eyes lit up. "I will never get tired to hear it. I love you too Deacon, so much. You may be known to the world as a man with few words, but your lyrics tell a different story. To me that knows you, love you, being loved by you, lived our lifes together now and then it´s a declaration of love. I don´t think the world knows how many of your song is about me, about us. The obvious ones of course most people could pick out but there is so much they don´t know."

"Most of my song is about you Ray, one way or another. Both love songs and broken heart songs. I haven´t loved any other woman then you. You are my everything and writing songs about you, about us even when we weren´t together anymore was my salvation to get on with my life. That and never lost hope that we would get back together one day, never gave up on our love. I have no plans to stop writing songs to you, about you or us."

"Even those songs I sang while we were apart had hidden messages in them. They weren´t love songs but some were written by you and I know the one line or even just a word what they meant to us. When I was angry with Teddy I thought if he only knew, it gave me extra satisfaction singing those words. Even I snuck a word or two in my songs I wrote that was about you or us."

"That gave me more hope when I heard them, that you still cherished our time together, keeping the memories still in your heart."

"Always."

The waiter came with their desserts. Deacon lifted their joined hands and kissed her knuckles before letting go so they could enjoy their desserts.

* * *

Bucky was standing and watching Rayna, Deacon and Daphne perform their last song. After this evening the tour is over and they are going home. Daphne had grown so much from the first time she stood on the stage that very first week. Then she did just one song and the closing one they all did together, now the last two weeks she had done two songs. A typical show could look like this. Rayna always opened with one or two songs, then Deacon did one of his songs, then a duet and then usually Daphne did her song. After Daphne Rayna and Deacon did three more duets, then Deacon did two songs, Daphne again with one, Rayna did one followed by two more duets and then they all did A Life That´s Good as their closing act.

Bucky has enjoyed this little tour. He really liked the pace ot it, six weeks, six states, only six cities but eighteen shows. No one is young anymore, except Daphne so it has been nice not to rush from city to city. Bucky could relax in other ways too this time around, not have to worry about scandals, if someone manage to take a photo of them hugging or being too close to each other. No drinking, no one missing out on a show. The only one thing left to worry about is if they were being caught in the act, but with Daphne around they probably should behave themselves, but with those two you never know.

Looking at them now as he has done this whole tour. He felt so much joy seeing Rayna so happy, so content with life, so gratified. Seeing her do what she loves with the man she loves and her lovely daughters, well Maddie is missing but still.

Both Rayna and Deacon have said several times that they wouldn´t be where they are today, that they wouldn´t had the success they have without him. He feels the love and so much pride when they say that but he still think that what he did is nowhere near their talent to write all that wonderful music and performing it with such incredible stage presence and star quality. He is so blessed to do this as a living and he don´t want to change a thing.

Bucky looked out over the audience and saw all the flashes and lights from all the phones and cameras and was reminded he had a mission. He haden´t taken any pictures yet, he must have their last performance, he can´t miss that. Bucky smiled and took up his phone.

* * *

Rayna lay in bed and tried not to fall asleep just yet. She had Deacon´s left arm on her hip. She stroke over his wedding ring with her thumb. They had made love and talked as they usually end their nights and Deacon had just fallen asleep. Rayna diden´t want it to end yet. They were done now, they had been on the roads now for six weeks and it had been so wonderful. Rayna couldn´t almost describe how incredible these six weeks have been. So much fun they have had. It has been everything what Rayna ever dreamt of how it would be to tour with Deacon again. The love, the joy to be so close to him and not have to hold back on anything, it has been pure heaven. They must do this again next year, write and record during the autumn, winter and spring and then touring in the summer when Daphne don´t have school. Yes that´s a brilliant idea Rayna thought to herself, she would tell them in the morning. She snuggled closer to Deacon and closed her eyes.

The End.


End file.
